Something Blue
by CherryNekoChan
Summary: COMPLETE. Their entire friendship was started because of a tiny bottle of Nail Polish. Then, that friendship slowly became something so much more. A story of One-Shots surrounding a former Clan heir and a young priestess that changed everything. Ita/Kag
1. Nail Polish

Summary

In a desperate bid to get the youngest member of his team out into life a little more, Pein enlists the help of Konan. The result is Itachi going Nail Polish shopping and perhaps learning a little about life in general. Definitely OOCness.

A/N: I wanted to do this because I thought it was a funny thought. I think I may have a few interconnected One-Shots in this 'verse. Haven't decided yet, but there's a very good possibility I may continue this. For now, Enjoy!

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He was going to kill Leader-sama. It was plain and simple.

In light of recent events, he should have seen this coming. Also in light of recent events, Itachi Uchiha realized that joining a criminal organization was probably not in his healthiest interests. But then, he wasn't going to live long anyway, so what the hell? Why not?

No, it was the fact that he joined a crminal organization whose "fearless leader" seemed to have a strange obsession with nail polish and billowy clouds. The cloak he hadn't minded; he had even come to accept the requirement of painting his nails the dark garish purple color. At this point, after nearly 5 years of wearing the stuff, the scent was second-nature to him.

It was the fact that his "fearless leader" had decided to give the Uchiha genius the "honor and privilege" of purchasing a new bottle of nail polish for Every. Single. Other. Akatsuki. Member. And it was the fact that he was now standing in front of the local drugstore, sans the red cloud cloak, debating on going in to peruse colorful bottles of nail ware.

_'I need a new job,' _the former heir thought in annoyance, glaring darkly (without his Sharingan. Apparently, the red eyes made him stick out like a sore thumb.) at the entrance. Several people behind him on the streets gave him odd and bemused stares while a child quietly pointed out to her mother that "The funny looking boy is trying to have a staring contest with the store, mommy!". Itachi's eye twitched just slightly.

_'Okay Uchiha. You **can** do this. You've done things that would make that child scream and cry in terror for at least the rest of her childhood. You **will** walk into that store and... buy nail polish!' _his conscience cringed at the thought, but then thought of the time Konan had sent Deidara to buy things for her during her monthly. It cheered him significantly. Looking down at his hands, he absently noted a small chip in his polish that hadn't been there the other day and sighed quietly. Finally gathering his wits, he walked into the drugstore. After all, Leader-sama had given him this solo mission; he **never** failed his missions, no matter what.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

As soon as she stepped out of her house, it began to rain; heavily.

Fate was apparently laughing at her again.

After nearly 2 years of being stuck in this parallel Ninja-verse, Kagome Higurashi figured she would be used to the random, not to mention weird, things that happened around this particular village (cough City cough). Like the excessive amount of rain, the slightly obsessive villagers that practically worshipped their leader, and the occasional nut job that decided to attack said village.

Most of these people didn't really take kindly to strangers, but the elderly couple that had found her unconscious, beaten, and bloody body in an old abandoned well had been uncharacteristically sympathetic to her cause. When she finally woke up, it was several days later and she was in the Amegakure Hospital. She was later told by the doctors that she had two cracked ribs, a broken arm, dislocated shoulder, and her lungs had been punctured.

It was a miracle she was even alive, they said. Kagome snorted and blamed it quietly on her guardianship of one Shikon no Tama. The cursed jewel wasn't going to let its' "precious protector" die so easily. Especially not after everything she went through to get every single broken shard back together.

The priestess sighed and shook her head.

_'No use in dwelling on things I can't change,'_ she thought morosely, opening her umbrella, _'Right now, I need some allergy medicine. I can just feel the itchiness creeping up on me.'_ Stepping out into the street, she quickly made her way to the nearby drugstore.

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"Why are there so many colors?" Itachi muttered under his breath as he glanced at the several rows of colorful polish, "That shade of orange is ridiculous."

_'I wouldn't even **be **here if it weren't for the fact that my family members were a bunch of power-hungry, grudge-holding, highly obsessive nut-jobs,'_the Sharingan wielder sighed and shook his head, mentally discarding the polish color he was looking at on account of the sparkles in it. He **would not** lower himself to wearing shimmer purple nail polish.

"What's the difference in any of these?" he sighed, almost willing to give up and just leave this embarrassing situation for someone else to deal with.

"It depends. Are you wanting it to last for a while?" a voice next to him stated. Itachi would swear to anyone else that he didn't jump in surprise.

"What?" _'How did-?_' he glanced at the girl that had literally snuck up on him. She smiled at him disarmingly and pointed at the bottles of varnish. He noted absently that her own nails were colored a nauseating hot pink color.

_'I'm getting dizzy just looking at that color,' _the Uchiha thought vaguely, _'What person in their right mind wears that horrifying pink. She'd be an easy target with those fingers.'_

"Your nail polish," the girl replied, giving him a look that screamed 'don't be stupid', "Do you want it to last for a while?"

"What makes you think it's for me?" Itachi countered immediately, glaring at the offending color on her hands. She raised a brow and slowly moved her blue eyes down to his hands. He had the decency to avert his gaze and hide his hands in his pockets. He **would not** turn red in embarrassment damn it! Sadly, he could feel his face heating up just slightly.

"It is a pretty loud color," she sighed, gazing morosely at her fingers, "I wasn't expecting it to turn out so... bright."

"I may go blind from it," Itachi muttered before his eyes widened in surprise. _'I can't believe I just made a joke. What is wrong with me?_'

The girl laughed lightly and shook her head,"Yeah, me too. I think this one is going to the little girl down the street. I'm sure she'll be thrilled."

"Indeed," he replied, sighing quietly before moving down the aisle discreetly and glancing at another row of darker colored nail color. He cringed and shook his head, before muttering under his breath, "I can't believe I'm about to do this." He turned back to the girl who was contemplating a dark silver color that would suit her more than the pink she was wearing could ever hope to achieve. "What would you recommend?"

She glanced back at him, cocking her head to the side and studying him intently. Itachi suddenly felt like all his sins were being laid bare and it unnerved him more than he imagined it would. For the first time in his relatively short life, he felt ashamed of his life. He shook himself mentally and the feeling disappeared. His life wasn't his own the moment he annihilated his clan.

_'What was that?'_

"Well, what are you looking for exactly?" the girl asked, glancing back at the color she was clutching before coming to a decision and dropping the silver-filled bottle in her shopping basket.

"Something that won't chip easily."

"So, long-lasting. How about this?" She picked up the previous bottle of polish he had been holding and showed it to him.

"I **will not** demean myself to wearing **shimmer**!" Itachi hissed venomously and watched with a tiny amount of satisfaction as the girl flinched and set the bottle down quickly.

"Sorry. It looked like the closest thing to what you're wearing now," the girl replied sheepishly, then began to search the other bottles. He did the same. For a few moments, they kept to themselves.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

She watched the young man next to her out of the corner of her eye and sighed inwardly. He was definitely handsome, and certainly didn't seem like the type, but that nail polish on his fingers was just enough out of the ordinary for Kagome to be on guard. Now, however, her curiosity was getting the better of her.

"So, why purple, of all colors?" the priestess asked out of the blue, "Are you in a group or something?" She noticed he jerked just slightly, one hand straying to his leg in an almost instinctive fashion. Her senses screamed danger.

_'Is he a ninja, then?'_

"It was not my choice," the raven-haired male replied off-handedly, his other hand clenching briefly before relaxing. He carefully set down another bottle of varnish and moved to the next group of small bottles. It brought him a step closer to her. Kagome shrugged and held up a light violet colored bottle to the light.

"Too bright. It needs to be darker," he stated as she opened her mouth to ask about the color. She blushed and set the bottle down, then huffed and turned to face him.

"Let me see your hand," she hissed in annoyance, snatching the closest one before he could protest. She gazed down at the color currently chipping off his fingers in concentration, vaguely noting the strange heavy-looking ring he wore on his hand, before letting out a breath of triumph.

"What are you-!"

"You need this one!" Kagome then proceeded to drag him over to a display farther down the aisle to a set of square-shaped little bottles. She cheerfully plucked a bottle from the stand and presented it to him with a flourish. Had he been in a different situation, he would have laughed at her enthusiasm. Instead he took the bottle with a small smile and held it up to the light.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:

He was still attempting to figure out an decent answer to her question without giving away vital information when she jerked him down the aisle to another collection of bottles. The strange girl then presented him with a small bottle with a smile on her face.

_'She's one of those people that want to help others no matter who they are,' _Itachi thought, accepting the vial and holding it up to the light, _'An innocent that most anyone would want to severely protect. Does she not have someone to keep her safe?'_

"... This will suffice," he stated, nodding before glancing at the name of the color. _'Rum Raisin is so unoriginal. But it's just the right color too.'_He glanced at her as she twirled happily, her long dark hair dancing in the fluorescent light and her blue eyes sparkling delightedly. And when she graced him with an enormous smile, the Uchiha felt the telltale signs of attachment stir in his thought-to-be-dead heart. It bothered him... a lot.

"I've got that kind at home in a dark green color. It stayed on my nails for almost two weeks before I resorted to scrubbing it off with an S.O.S. pad," she commented off-handedly, grinning at what was probably the memory of the moment. He nodded absently as he collected a bottle for each member of his little "group", as she called it.

"Stocking up?" she teased lightheartedly. Had he been anyone else, the former Clan heir probably would have rolled his eyes and snorted in indignation.

"I am purchasing for other people as well," he answered back, a slight bite to his quiet voice. She either heard it and didn't care, or she didn't let it affect her, because she just laughed again and held out her hands to help him. He was not used to the amount of kindness this strange girl was paying him, but he also found that he didn't really mind either. Slowly, they gathered the right amount and began to head to the checkout up front.

"Ahh, you're 'group thing', right?"

"... Yes."

"Well... good luck with that." She accepted her bags of groceries and stepped aside to wait for him. Itachi was unaccustomed to someone waiting for him and quickly paid for his purchase while avoiding the questioning look the cashier was giving him. They left the drugstore and stood outside in a strained silence.

"I... guess this is goodbye. Um... If you're ever in town again, you should stop by the tea shop down the road. I work there and..." she trailed off and grimaced in embarrassment before a determined glint entered her blue eyes and she locked gazes with him, "My name's Kagome. So stop by and say hi if you want to."

_'Ahh, the exchange of names. It would make things more difficult... however...'_

"Itachi." Kagome glanced up at him sharply in surprise, obviously not expecting him to give his name so freely. Let him be surprising for once.

"R-right... Itachi-san," she smiled happily and began to turn away, "I think we'll definitely meet again."

"... Perhaps," the Uchiha muttered, turning and walking away. He **refused **to turn back to see what he perceived to be her oddly distinctive chakra-signature moving away.

_'Such a strange girl... Kagome.'_

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

"You sent **Itachi** to get **Nail Polish**!" the flamboyant blonde exclaimed, staring in shock at his brightly-colored Leader. The orange-haired man nodded and pinned Deidara with a withering look.

"Is there a problem with that?" Pein asked delicately, raising a brow in the artist's direction.

"**Yes**! Itachi is typically homicidal at best! We'll **never** be able to go into the village if he **kills **someone!" Deidara answered in a dramatic fashion, waving his arms around for emphasis.

"Don't be so foolish, Deidara," Pein scoffed, waving a hand in dismissal, "Itachi wouldn't kill people because they get on his nerves."

"I'm not **that **homicidal, thank you," Itachi muttered, stating his arrival back at headquarters.

"That didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would," the Uchiha's partner, Kisame Hoshigaki, said as a bag was deposited on the table.

"Indeed. The girl that helped me find these said it wouldn't chip for almost two weeks," Itachi replied, snagging a bottle of their new nail polish and disappearing towards his room. Everyone was silent for about two heartbeats before one of their newest members, Hidan, broke it.

"Did he just fuckin' say a **girl**?" the Jashinist exclaimed in horror.

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A/N: Ahahahaa... And there you have it. The start of an oddball relationship. Well... it's probably not normal, but it was funny. Who knows, maybe I'll even continue this possibility. As always, Constructive criticism is helpful. Maybe some ideas too. Let me know!


	2. Dog Day

Summary

Dogs really aren't so bad... are they?

A/N: Okay, so I'm really excited that so many people liked the previous chapter. It's really some thing else when you get compliments on what you do. It makes me want to type more, therefore, get things out much faster. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed. It really does give me inspiration. I don't own Naruto or Inuyasha. They belong to their respective creators.

BTW- There will be swearing. Just so you know.

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Itachi Uchiha was many things. Quiet, self-assured, intelligent, socially introverted, and possessing a well of patience.

Okay, scratch that last one; his patience was not one of his best traits. Especially when it concerned a certain flashy blonde team member of his that didn't know When. To. Shut. Up.

He supposed that he had only himself to blame, though, about his current predicament; seated quietly in his chair and avoiding Deidara's visible eye as he probed the Uchiha genius's brain for answers to his lapse in judgement two weeks ago.

_'And my nail polish still shows no signs of wear and tear,' _Itachi thought absently before leveling a Sharingan-enhanced glare at the explosives expert that would usually have anyone and everyone running in terror. Deidara didn't even flinch. For once.

"C'mon Itachi! There's no reason to be so secretive! Who's this chick you talked about?" the blonde wheedled. Deidara was determined to get an answer to his satisfaction this time. Normally he wouldn't bother, seeing as he absolutely despised Itachi Uchiha; he had no sense of the beauty of art whatsoever! Not to mention his distant attitude had the tendency to rub the Stone missing-nin the wrong way.

_'A girl, on the other had? And one that approached the bastard at that? It's too good to pass up!'_

"There is no 'chick' as you like to put it, Deidara. Now stay out of my face," Itachi replied in a monotone, flicking a card down into the pile and huffing, "one nine."

Kisame winced in preparation and shuffled the cards in his hand. It was usually a good sign when his partner's voice lost all emotion and he narrowed his eyes in a specific way that fists would soon start flying and furniture would begin smoking or burst into flame. "Just leave him alone, Deidara. You're going to get beaten up if you keep it up." Was it him or was it getting hot in here?

"Fine, fine," the blonde huffed, glancing at his cards and smirking slyly at the Uchiha sitting next to him, "Three tens."

There was silence for a moment as each person took a look at their cards.

The former Stone-nin couldn't resist one last jibe, "Was she at least hot? Did you even get a name out of her?"

Itachi's cards bent dramatically and he seethed in anger. Pulling back, he hauled off and let his fist do the talking this time.

"YOU PUNCHED ME!" Deidara howled, rearing back and scooting away from Itachi.

"You deserved it. Now stay out of things that **do not concern you**!" Itachi hissed, jumping up and stalking away angrily. His cards fluttered to the floor innocently, singed crescent marks where his nails had been.

"You know, Deidara. I warned you," Kisame suddenly stated, standing from the table and following his young partner to make sure nothing was caught on fire due to the Uchiha's explosive temper. Usually Itachi didn't let things get to him. On the other hand, Deidara had been interrogating the Sharingan user for nearly fourteen days. Anyone was bound to snap at some point or another.

"His patience is getting better, believe it or not," the shark-man commented offhandedly to Hidan as he exited and swept upstairs, putting out small fires here and there.

"... I call bullshit," Hidan announced, grinning manically at no one in particular.

Kakuzu rolled his eyes, threw down his cards, and gathered up his things, muttering under his breath about not being able to concentrate when there was too much screaming going on.

"Agreed. Now stop whining and get back over here, Deidara. I hate waiting," Sasori seconded, running a hand through his red hair and organizing his cards again as the blonde stumbled back over to the table. the explosions expert slumped into his chair and murderously snatched the pile of cards in the middle of the table, muttering obscenely under his breath.

"Itachi, Kisame, and Kakuzu are all out," Zetsu stated offhandedly, glancing at the empty spaces forlornly while his less savory side continued, "**and it's Leader-sama's turn.**"

The orange-haired Akatsuki member nodded and laid down three cards, "Three Jacks." The table remained silent for a moment before Hidan grinned again.

"Bullshit!"

_'It may be a good idea to send Itachi for more supplies,'_ Konan thought idly, glancing at their stash of junk food in calculation before nodding to herself, _'I think we'll choose a less volatile card game too next time. Maybe Old Maid...'_

"Doesn't anyone care that I'm going to have a **black eye **from this?" Deidara wailed in his usual dramatic fashion. Sasori actually rolled his eyes before saying "No" in a decisive manner.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

"Was she hot... such a stupid question!" Itachi muttered in annoyance, stalking up to his door and shoving it open with much more force than was necessary. In an uncharacteristic temper tantrum, he threw himself dramatically onto his bed and glared up at the ceiling in annoyance.

A moment later he heard his partner's distinctive tread as he waltzed up the stairs. "Maybe you should get out of here for a few hours," the shark-man commented, dousing a corner of their door frame in water when it began smoking, "You're starting to act like Deidara with his hissy fits." Itachi muttered under his breath and glared at Kisame.

"I do not act like that... that..." words failed him for once and he snarled in anger. The curtain behind him caught fire. His blue partner sighed and drenched the innocent curtain in water.

"Idiot?" Kisame supplied, smirking inwardly at the incensed look the Uchiha sent him. The smaller man finally sighed, sitting up and putting his head in his hands.

"He drives me insane with his inane chatter, insists that I have 'no appreciation of art', makes rude gestures behind my back," Kisame winced, knowing the blonde Akatsuki member would be in for a pounding later, "then wants me to divulge in some ridiculous recount of a girl that didn't run screaming at the sight of me," Itachi muttered, shaking his head and pulling himself together. The room was silent for a few heartbeats and the Uchiha glanced up at his thunderstruck partner, expecting a response.

"So... There was a girl?"

Itachi snatched a brace of kunai and stormed out the door. Kisame proved a valid point. He **needed** to get out; preferably before he burned down the headquarters in annoyance. _'He didn't hear a word I said!'_

The shark-man grinned, pulling out a sheet of parchment and marking a 1 next to his name. "I still think I have the best chance of getting this 'girl' information out of him." He chuckled. Deidara was so going to lose their bet.

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It was one of those days where she felt like she shouldn't get out of bed. However, the world would not wait for Kagome Higurashi to decide when she should start her day. Nope. The neighbors gladly did that for her.

_'That pounding had better stop __**before**__ I get to the door,' _Kagome thought groggily, rolling out of bed and hitting the floor in an inelegant heap of limbs and tangled bed sheets. The pounding still cheerfully continued.

"I'M COMING!" the priestess shouted, scrambling out of her sheets and jumping up in a surprisingly elegant maneuver. Glancing down briefly at her attire, she nodded and decided she looked decent enough to answer the door in her pajamas. Sprinting quickly down the stairs, she only bumped into one door frame in her haste to silence the person knocking so erratically on the other side of her front door.

"Yes?" Kagome flung the door open and gawked at her elderly neighbors smiling happily outside the door.

"Good morning, Kagome-chan!" the older woman chirped. The priestess was immediately annoyed with the bright greeting.

Hatsumi-san! How are you this morning?" the raven-haired girl asked in an overly-bright tone.

"Oh fine! I was just wondering if you were working today, Kagome-chan?" Hatsumi asked, cutting straight to the point. Kagome blinked and shook her head. Hatsumi's grin got wider, "Well, you remember me telling you about Chance, right?"

"Yes? Your little dog, right?" Kagome responded, having a good idea where this conversation was going.

"Yes! Well, the husband and I got a telegram from our daughter. Her son is sick and we said we would bring them some medicine," the older woman explained quickly, waving her arms about. The young priestess gasped in sadness, sending up a prayer that the boy would get better soon.

"Is it bad?"

"I'm not quite sure. We'll know when we get there," Hatsumi hummed, fidgeting from foot to foot, "Anyway, we can't take old Chance with us. He's not quite strong enough to travel anymore, and my normal dog-sitter is at her other job. I know you like dogs and all..."

"No! I'll help! I don't mind watching Chance for you guys until you get back!" she cursed her selfless heart, but a child in need would always take preedence over her own wants and needs. It was why she also volunteered at the orphanage.

"Would you? Oh thank you so much, Kagome-chan! I'll pay you what I would pay her!"

"That's not necessary, Hatsumi-san," Kagome sighed, waving her hand in a no-nonsense way.

"I know. But I'll still do it, as thanks for your kindness. It's the least I can do for taking up your time. It'll only be for the day and maybe part of tomorrow. Is that all right?"

"Yeah! I don't go in tomorrow until the afternoon."

"Oh thank you so much! I'll bring him right over with his things!"

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

"Little dog my ass!" Kagome growled out, watching morbidly as Chance scratched behind his ear, "You're a monstrous son of a bitch!" The enormous black hound dog merely licked an entire side of Kagome's head enthusiastically. She stared in shock for a moment before glaring at him and stalking upstairs to remove the slobber in her hair via shower.

"If you've torn anything up when I come out, I'll make mince-meat of you, Chance!"

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

He happily roamed the village for the majority of the day, picking out sights and smells that were appealing to him, and avoiding things he would rather not touch with a ten-foot kunai. Itachi was still debating on whether or not the wall scroll in his hands was worth purchasing when he was intercepted by a lovely voice.

"Itachi-san?" The S-class criminal flinched, though he would never admit it; not even under pain of death. He hated being recognized... by anyone. Turning, he prepared himself to face the one thing he had hoped to **not **run into in the village. Kagome. _'So much for avoiding tea shops today... And I __**did not**__ just think her voice was __**nice**__.'_

"How did-!"

"You have very distinctive hair. It's quite long," the priestess answered his query before he could finish. The Uchiha bit his tongue in an effort to not correct the girl. He also disliked being interrupted.

_'Note to self: Cut hair.'_

"So how are you? I haven't seen you around or anything. I'm glad you're safe and all," Kagome chattered brightly, grinning in the Sharingan wielder's direction and making his traitorous heart stutter slightly. He was at a loss for what to say; her questions seemed innocent enough, but any wrong answer he could give would potentially tip her off to his lifestyle. For once, he didn't want that. _'Damn hormones! Skipping heartbeats is bad for my lungs!'_

"I'm... well. I travel a lot so I don't stay in one place very often," Itachi responded. She nodded and he relaxed minutely. He then proceeded to keep from laughing out loud as the small girl was unceremoniously dragged several steps by an enormous looking black dog. Despite putting her full weight against it, the hound seemed completely unaffected and continued walking.

"No! Chance stop! Stop please!" Kagome begged, digging her heels in for extra effort. The dog, dubbed Chance, amazingly did as she asked.

"That... dog... is massive," the Sharingan wielder stated the obvious, banging his head repeatedly against an imaginary wall inside his mind. _'Of course, Uchiha. State the obvious, why don't you? It's no wonder that she wouldn't need a protector; She's got super-dog right here.'_

"Yeah... But don't worry!" the priestess grinned happily, petting the dog on the head gently, "He doesn't bite. He's just old."

"I... see..." Itachi replied hesitantly; which, in all honesty, he didn't. 'Chance' probably outweighed him by at least eighty pounds and could happily squish him should he decide to do so. _'This is why I hate dogs. Monstrous, abrasive creatures that rarely show signs of intelligence.'_

Interestingly enough, said unintelligent canine was happily circling the duo and sniffing the newcomer with intentions of mischief. Who knows? Maybe this one would rub his belly if he rolled over. With that thought in mind, Chance dropped to the floor and rolled over. It pulled his leash taut and jerked Kagome and Itachi together suddenly.

The two humans went down in an unceremonious scramble of limbs and curses, causing the massive hound to jump up in alarm.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

_'Outmanuevered by a slobbering leashed canine. This is so many forms of pathetic,'_Itachi thought in annoyance, gritting his teeth and attempting to lever himself up off the floor. Movement under him made him freeze in shock, _'And now she's underneath me. Add mortifying to the list.'_

"Owww! Chance... bad dog," Kagome muttered, propping herself up on her elbows and glaring at the massive hound. Said massive hound sat back down and began to scratch one of his ears in ignorance.

"I... despise dogs," the Uchiha muttered quietly. To prove his point, Chance leaned over and licked one side of the Uchiha's face enthusiastically. Itachi twitched murderously.

_'That dog is dead the moment I get it alone.'_

"I am so sorry about hi-eep!" Kagome cut herself off when Itachi's hand came dangerously close to brushing her chest. Her face burned red in shock.

"Don't move," he muttered, face inches away from the paralyzed girl's nose, "Your **dog** wrapped the leash around us."

"Not... my... dog..." Kagome huffed faintly, carefully maneuvering herself when Itachi sat up. She muttered something unpleasant under her breath and glared at the hound,"You're not getting a treat when we get back, I hope you know." Chance whined and laid down in remorse, causing the leash to tighten and knocking the Uchiha genius off balance again.

"... Embarrassing. This is worse than the nail polish and the interrogation I got afterwards put together," Itachi sighed, slowly untangling the leash first before standing again. He offered his hand to the girl on the ground in apology. She grinned awkwardly and accepted, allowing the man to pull her to her feet. Kagome giggled and wiped his cheek.

"You have a smudge," she supplied when she received an odd look for her actions. Itachi rolled his eyes and mussed up her hair.

"You need a bath. You're covered in dirt." She pouted in a, to him, not unattractive fashion. When he realized he was staring, he snatched that wall in his head again and proceeded to reintroduce his head to it.

"Sorry about him," Kagome apologized again as Itachi ran a hand through his dusty hair. The Uchiha came away with a string of slobber and he looked vaguely ill. "If it makes you feel any better, he decided that I needed a bath shortly after getting out of bed, got fur all over my blankets, drooled on my favorite tee shirt, and chewed up one of my sneakers... in the span of two hours."

Itachi blinked and looked back at the harassed girl. He smirked, "I must admit, it does."

"Jerk," the priestess muttered under her breath, gracing him with a sour face. He glanced around, noticing it was starting to get harder to see; for him at least.

"It's getting late. I need to go back," the prodigy sighed, dusting off his clothes fruitlessly. She fidgeted akwardly before moving forward and giving him a hug. Itachi blinked, first in shock, then in embarrassment before hesitantly patting the smaller girl on the head and kicking up a cloud of dust into his face. He sneezed. She laughed.

"It was nice seeing you. So take it easy and be careful," Kagome grinned, attempting to pat him on the head. She was unceremoniously dragged away by Chance for her efforts. She shrieked in shock and attempted to stop the canine, but when her efforts failed miserably, she turned and waved madly to the smiling Uchiha. It took a moment to realize he was waving back, and when he stopped the priestess had already turned the corner.

"Maybe... dogs aren't so bad," Itachi muttered, turning to head back to the Akatsuki headquarters. _'After all, she __**did**__ hug me...' _

_'... I hate my hormones.'_

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

"What the hell happened to you?" Kisame roared, causing Deidara to prematurely detonate a small bomb and Kakuzu to drop several wads of cash. Apparently, Itachi was back.

"There is no need to yell, Kisame. I was... attacked by a dog," the Uchiha quietly replied, skirting around his blue partner and heading upstairs. He needed a shower. Badly.

The room was silent again until Itachi had disappeared upstairs and Pein stuck his head out of his office. "Is Itachi back?"

"Yeah. He looked like he got into a fight with a damn tornado!" the shark-man exclaimed, running a hand through his short blue hair. Their fearless leader raised a brow in disbelief.

"Really?"

"Uh-huh. He said a dog attacked him," Kakuzu answered, beginning his count again. He hated when people interrupted his daily log.

"Well, how much do you want to bet that this 'dog' had a girl attached to it?" Deidara asked slyly. Hidan rolled his eyes.

"Gambling's a fuckin' sin, you heathen, but I gotta agree with you for once."

...

"Konan! Go investigate!"

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Somewhere in her cozy home, Kagome sniffled then sneezed loudly.

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A/N: Sooo... When I think of this dog, I imagine Fang from Harry Potter. Yeah, that's a big dog.

Does anyone else notice the potential for a little Deidara/Iatchi rivalry? It reminds me of Sasuke/Naruto when they were **always** fighting.

Also, can anyone guess what card game the Akatsuki were playing at the beginning?


	3. Rainwater

Summary

The rain has the tendency to make things seem worse. Then along comes the sun...

A/N: Another chapter! Another moment in the lives of Itachi and Kagome. Enjoy! By the way, the song in here is my cousin's. She wrote it, sang it, and played some of the music in it. Sadly, she never got it published by a company. As soon as I figure out how, I'll post the song on my profile for those of you interested in hearing it. It's call 'Tonight'. If anyone can tell me how to do this, it would be greatly appreciated. I don't own Inuyasha, Naruto, or the song. They belong to their respective owners.

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She felt a drop hit her nose and she moaned in disbelief.

"The rain only just stopped! Why now? I forgot my umbrella!" the priestess exclaimed as the sky opened up. She quickly made her way to the nearest shelter and sighed absently, flipping her hair out of her face.

"Great. Now it's going to start curling," Kagome muttered, glancing up at the sky again. It looked like the shower was going to last for a while, so she settled herself in to wait it out.

_'I thought it was supposed to stay nice today! I'll never believe the newspaper again,'_ she thought, huffing irritably and watching the water splatter on the street. Absentmindedly, she began to ring the water out of her damp hair.

At that moment, a raindrop leaked through the overhead and splashed onto her head.

"Aww man! This sucks so bad!" The priestess sighed and sank down onto the ground. She hated the rain. It was cold. It was wet. It was monotonous.

_'It makes me sad; it makes me wish for what I've lost. I miss them... badly.'_

Wrapping her arms around her knees, Kagome quietly began to cry.

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For once, Itachi was glad that he had taken Kisame's advice and carried an umbrella into the village. The shark-man did have excellent senses when it came to weather, however, so it came as no surprise to the former Leaf-nin when the sky opened up and began to pour. Quickly sliding out the plain blue umbrella from underneath his black cloak, he flicked it open and suffered minimal damage to his person from the water.

_'An unusual time for rain, considering it's August, but I've noticed this country doesn't seem to follow the standard weather format the others do,' _Itachi thought, holding his hand out to catch a few droplets coming off the umbrella.

He was thankful, though, for the dull weather. It made navigating the village so much simpler. The S-class criminal didn't have to worry about people sending him odd looks.

_'Not to mention I don't have to worry about running into __**her**__,' _Itachi thought, idly window shopping in the heavy downpour. He noted a shop that displayed several weapons in the front window, and made it a point to remember to stop in there before he left for the day.

The Uchiha sighed, glancing down at his soaked toes, and shook his head.

_'Worst day ever to wear ninja sandals,'_ he thought wryly, _'On the other hand, I have no other footwear. I'm going to have to pull out the spares. It's not that I mind the rain; I just need to be careful. If I get sick, it would take a monumental effort to recover. Especially if it's upper respiratory.'_

His eyes scanned the normally crowded street, taking in what he could see and letting his above-average hearing do the rest. _'I suppose that's what I get for trying to gain more power than I could handle... at the time. Eventually, I won't even be able to see any of this.'_ He almost hoped that his younger brother would be strong enough to finish him off before then. Almost.

Thanks to his sharp ears, however, he was able to pick up the soft voice.

_'Is that... singing?'_ He listened harder, filtering out the downpour around him in order to hear the pretty voice better.

_"What if we played it out _

_a little longer _

_Would we have found _

_something more" _

"Why does that voice sound familiar?" he asked himself, splashing as quietly as possible towards the sound and groaning. With his lousy luck as of late, he would run into-

_"Why are there so many questions _

_that leave me asking" _

-Kagome, of all people. She was sitting under a leaking overhang; eyes closed, and hair damp. _'Looks like she got caught in the rain. Why didn't the foolish girl take an umbrella?' _Itachi's legs took him closer, the pacifist in him insisting on seeing her smile again. It wasn't like he hadn't seen her a few weeks ago or anything. _'Thankfully, that monstrous drooling beast isn't with her this time.'_

_"If we were wrong" _

_'What if... things had been different?' _the Uchiha thought, really watching the girl now. Despite her incredibly sunny nature, she was hurting, deeply, for some reason. _'Could they have been different? Why must this girl always make me question my decisions?' _

_"Chances weren't in our favor _

_And the stars never" _

He stood there, just outside of her rain barrier, and noted vaguely that there was a tear making it's way down her cheek. Or was that rain? _'She looks... wrong... without that smile. Like the world has gone dark.' _

_"-lined up quite right _

_'Cause I just lost _

_the one I loved tonight" _

Had she really lost someone that important? Itachi would hazard a guess that her words were less of a song and more of a way to express the sadness she buried deep in her heart.

_"I just lost _

_the one I loved" _

He reached out, instinctively, to touch her shoulder in a gesture of comfort. He really didn't like the thought of her being sad. When his mind finally caught up with what he was about to do, though, the former heir cringed back.

_"Tonight" _

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Kagome breathed deeply, self-pity reaching up to try and choke her. She hated that she felt so weak. She always tried to see the good in a situation. She truly did enjoy her new life here, and the people she had met. But the rain always had the tendency to make her think back; to remind her of... him.

_'Inuyasha...'_

"Were you really not paying attention to the weather?" Her eyes flew open and she jolted from shock, before quickly locating the source of the voice. He stood there giving her, what she translated into, an annoyed glare.

"... Itachi-san?"

It was then that she noticed him holding the umbrella out to her.

"... Well? Hurry up! If you want to be even slightly dry, now is your only chance," the Uchiha declared loftily, sighing inwardly at the gentleman in him. He hated when it flared up on occasions like this. But...

_'I can't just leave her here. She'll catch a cold, or something more deadly.' _Itachi watched her deliberate very briefly before skirting under the smaller shelter and brushing closely to him. It was a small umbrella. There was **no need** for him to be nervous.

"Thank you... Itachi-san," the priestess whispered, timidly sticking close to him. They continued in a surprisingly comfortable silence for several blocks, only turning when the raven-haired girl prompted.

_'This must be weird to think,' _Kagome thought, sneaking a glance at the quiet man next to her, _'but I almost feel like he's my own personal sun. He always seems to show up when I need cheering up.'_

In spite of herself, she smiled at the thought.

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He wasn't surprised that she had a small house. He was slightly shocked at how put together and... nice it was.

_'I can't believe I just considered something 'nice'. Disgusting,' _Itachi thought, reminding himself again to visit that weapons' shop to purchase something sharp, pointy, and able to cause death whenever he so chose. _'Damn hormones can't leave me the hell alone once in a while.'_

"Soo... this is it," Kagome stated unnecessarily, waving vaguely to the house behind her and flushing lightly in embarrassment.

"So it is," the Sharingan wielder replied. He awkwardly nodded and turned to leave.

"Thanks again, for walking me home... and all," Kagome called out, then adding, "You're more than welcome to stop by whenever you want." He stopped and glanced back at her. He must have let his impassive mask drop, because she smiled then and nodded. "My door is open for you, whenever you want. We're friends, after all."

"... I... see." Though he really didn't. The girl would not benefit in any way, even if the prospect sounded reasonable. _'If only to keep an eye on her. She's trouble; I can sense it.'_

"I hope you can come to see me the same way, someday."

"... Perhaps." He decided to leave while his reputation was still somewhat intact.

"Take care! Be safe!"

He didn't bother responding. Her statement was completely oxy-moronic. There was never safety involved when one chose being a ninja as one's profession.

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A/N: This one was a little more serious. Also slightly shorter. But no worries. The fun starts again in the next chapter! On a slightly lighter note, I get the feeling Itachi doesn't like dogs very much. Such a shame. I love my pooch. Sorry, no Akatsuki this time. They'll be back though. I can promise that.

Thanks again for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! Please review and tell me what you think!

P.S: I'm thinking we're not supposed to put songs in the stories and stuff. I did it anyway because it suited the mood. If you have a problem with it, or you think the website people might remove it, **tell me please**. I will make the necessary changes. Even though my cousin never got it published, I still give her the credit for making it. I'd rather not lose this story and all the great people that have commented so far.


	4. Sick Day

Summary

Being sick sucks. Especially when you have a mother-hen Uchiha telling you what to do...

A/N: Sorry, much much smaller than normal, but still funny. Since it is so small, I thought I'd put it out sonner. I'll also try to get the next one out faster. Enjoy! I don't own Hello Kitty, Naruto, or Inuyasha. They belong to their respective creators. I do have a Hello Kitty keychain. It's so cute! Lolz!

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Ever since he had walked her home in the rain two weeks ago, he'd taken to checking up on her occasionally at her home. After all, Chance was just the neighbor dog. She was bound to get in trouble at some point or another.

This instance proved no different than the rest. The thermometer in his hand only confirmed it.

_'Stupid walk-in-the-rain-without-an-umbrella girl.'_

"You're sick. You need to stay here," Itachi was firm in his resolve. His new 'friend', as she liked to call herself, was just as stubborn though.

"But I have a volunteer shift at the orphanage today!" Kagome snapped, stomping her foot for emphasis. He just shook his head and barred the exit with his body. "It's just a cold! I can just wear a mask or something." She swayed slightly on the spot, shaking her head to try and clear the woozy feeling.

"Just a co-? Do you **want** to get other people sick? Those whose immune systems are low could contract illnesses easily and potentially **die**. All because you wanted to help them," the Uchiha argued, not taking no for an answer, "Stay here and recover. Go back to bed and... What the **hell** are you wearing?" He finally noticed her pajamas and, had he been anyone else, he would have been bright red in shock. He settled for turning pink and averting his eyes.

Kagome looked down at herself and shrugged. She had no idea what the Uchiha was getting so worked up about. She thought the shorts and matching tee shirt were cute.

"Hello Kitty."

"... Hello... what?"

"Hello Kitty. Isn't she cute?"

"What is so **cute** about a deformed cat?" He couldn't believe he'd said the dreaded 'c-word' out loud. He barely restrained himself from gagging at the thought. Just barely. Knowing his luck, he'd make her sick if he decided his breakfast looked better on the floor.

"She's not deformed! She's chibi!"

"Chibi **do not** look like that."

"Hello Kitty does!"

"This is a pointless argument," Itachi suddenly stated, shoving the girl back into her room and manhandling her into her bed, despite her protests. The Uchiha thanked his lucky stars that her comforter was a dark green and wouldn't blind him further. _'What with that pink nail polish, I would have assumed that her room would have been lime green in color with bright purple sheets.'_ He shuddered visibly just from the thought.

"Now you **will** stay here and get better, or so help me I will **tie** you to the bed. Do you understand?"

She finally huffed and nodded sullenly. Itachi shook his head and suddenly smoothed down her flyaway hair. She flushed and whipped the covers over her head in embarrassment.

_'Just like an impudent child.'_

"If you need something, I'll be right outside the door. Just... ask," the former Clan heir gritted out, the sentence tasting weird on his tongue.

"Fine, but if you feed me ramen, I'll kick your ass," was her muffled response. She coughed suddenly and pulled the blankets off her head, her face flushed with fever and a lack of adequate air.

"Don't suffocate yourself," he muttered, turning and sweeping out the door. He received an angry pillow for his last jibe. It missed. He smirked.

_'She has horrible aim. And I wouldn't even dream of feeding her someting so uncivilized.' _

"..."

_'I might do it though, just to spite her.'_

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A/N: Like I said, short but sweet... Very short. Not to mention completely out of character... I don't really see Itachi liking ramen. Poor Naruto... It would be great to get some other ideas! I can only think so much up for myself. I would love to hear from you all!

Also because of the lack of reviews, I feel like I'm the only one enjoying myself with this story. I don't mind comments. I love them, actually. I'm even open to constructive criticism and ideas. My point is, I would like feedback. It lets me know you're there. So, please take a moment to say something. I don't want to beg, and sadly, I won't stop writing just because few to no people say anything. That's just not how I am. So talk to me! I'll listen!

K, thanks. Wanted to get that off my chest.


	5. Best Served Cold

Summary

Deidara tries to get sneaky. Key word, tries...

A/N: Awww! You guys are great! You really know how to make a girl's day! The jump in reveiws was just amazing! I hope that it continues! Just for that, I give you this! So this is what the Akatsuki was up to while Itachi wandered off to look after Kagome. This is to make up for the incredible shortness of the previous chapter. Enjoy!

Warning- Swearing. I blame Hidan.

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"This is a bad idea, Deidara," Kisame muttered, glancing around the room in paranoia. Deidara waved the shark-man off and continued rooting through one Itachi Uchiha's things.

"Don't be so uptight. That bastard needs to just come clean and tell us about this girl," the blonde countered, pushing a long-sleeved dark shirt to the side, "Maybe if we find a clue and 'move' it-"

"Steal!" the Uchiha's partner coughed, interrupting the bomb expert. Deidara leveled him with a surprisingly cold glare.

"- then he'll spill his guts to get his memorabilia back."

"You do remember when we tried to surprise Itachi for his 18th birthday, right?" Kisame pointed out, gingerly putting a scroll back where it belonged on his young partner's dresser. Deidara shuddered visibly.

"Please don't remind me."

"Well, this has the potential to be just as disastrous," the blue man finished, waiting patiently for the blonde's reaction.

"Hah! I think I found something!" Deidara exclaimed, withdrawing a note from the depths of Itachi's tee shirt drawer. Kisame was next to him in an instant, eyes wide in anticipation. They carefully unfolded the page and stared at what was written on it.

"... That's the receipt for the nail polish, Deidara."

"... Shut up!"

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"Why the fuck are we looking through the laundry, you blonde dumb ass?" Hidan spit out, shoving a load of clothes into the abused washing machine. He dumped an approximate amount of detergent in, spun the dial to release the water into the tub, and slapped the lid closed. It began to rumble quietly. He hated chores. Poor washing machine.

"Because Itachi is acting weirder than is required to join this stupid little club," Deidara countered, glaring viciously at the Jashinist. The silver-haired missing-nin merely snorted and turned to leave.

"Hidan! I said help me!"

"Get over it, heathen. The fucker'll tell us when he wants to."

"You-! You're not curious **at all **that Itachi is hanging out with a **girl**?" Deidara exclaimed, sifting through Itachi's clothes and finding absolutely nothing. _'Not even a damn scent!'_

"Of course I'm curious, you dumb ass!" the older male countered before grinning manically, "I just like both of my heads intact and attached." Deidara gave him a finger.

"That's just gross. I did **not** need to hear that."

"Yeah, well you better hope that Jashin-sama strikes you dead in one go because I'm late for my fuckin' ritual, damn it!"

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"No."

"Come on, Kakuzu! Don't you want to know?"

"No."

"But it's **Itachi** we're talking about!"

"I don't care."

"Are you serious?" the blonde asked, giving the money-hungry man a deadpan stare.

Kakuzu looked up from counting his money, deliberating briefly before coming to a decision.

"Yes."

"ARGH!" Deidara stomped off in a fit of rage.

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"Must we?"

**"Yes. It looks delicious." **

"But it did nothing to harm us."

**"I. Want. It."**

"... Fine."

Deidara backed away slowly. Zetsu seemed far too... occupied to ask his opinion on the current Itachi-hanging-out-with-a-girl issue.

"Fuckin' cannibal," the blonde muttered in a shocking imitation of Hidan. After all, who, in their right mind, enjoyed eating **daisies** while talking to himself.

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He wouldn't even bother asking Sasori. The Puppet Master would merely declare it was a waste of his precious time. Also, he was out on a mission with Konan. One could only wonder why.

"Damn it! It's almost dark, and I still haven't figured out the first thing about this "girl" that he keeps leaving to see."

"Deidara." The blonde froze, turning to face the person that spoke.

"Yes, Leader-sama?" He wouldn't lie. He was positively terrified of Leader-sama. Not only was he the ruling Kage for the Village Hidden in the Rain, but Pein was also exceedingly powerful.

_'He could crush me in a heartbeat.'_

"You've been... doing a lot of investigating lately, haven't you?" Pein questioned, gesturing vaguely to his office. Deidara took the hint and followed his fearless leader down the hallway.

"Yeah. I'm... curious about this "girl" Itachi spoke about before," the blonde replied before quickly adding, "you know, to make sure there's not a threat and all, yeah." Pein nodded thoughtfully, turning to unlock his office door. He always kept it locked. Why, the bomb's expert couldn't even fathom.

"I see. And, has it ever occurred to you," the Leader of the Akatsuki started, pushing the door open and waltzing in, "to follow Itachi to his destination?" The door closed in a shocked Deidara's face. For a moment, the former Stone-nin stood there in a daze.

Then, a huge grin broke out on his face.

"That's ingenious!"

On the other side of the door, Pein shook his head, smirking arrogantly to himself. Yes, it was ingenious.

Flipping open the origami paper butterfly sitting on his desk, he read the report Konan had sent him of his youngest member and grinned in triumph. Indeed, he was ingenious, and he wouldn't let anything slip by him. Not even a girl.

_'Shame I didn't decide to participate in that bet the others are having. If Itachi found out, though, he'd probably murder us all in our sleep.'_ Pein shuddered and locked his office door. Not that the boy **could** kill him, but he was sleeping with the light on tonight.

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It was several days later when tragedy struck and Deidara decided against following his fellow member to see his "girlfriend", as the blonde had put it.

Itachi sat quietly in his spot, polishing an incredibly sharp kunai with a cleaning cloth.

"... WHERE THE HELL IS ALL MY EXPLODING CLAY?"

Kisame immediately looked to his young partner, whom was smirking in obvious victory. He watched the Uchiha pull a long blonde hair from his Akatsuki cloak and test the edge of his shiny blade with it. The hair split in two. The shark man gulped. He knew raiding Itachi's dresser was a bad idea.

"Itachi... " Pein sighed, running a hand through his vivid hair.

"Revenge is a dish best served cold, Leader-sama," Itachi replied, laughing inwardly at the banging and cursing coming from Deidara's room.

_'Maybe this will teach that blonde idiot to not touch my things.'_

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A/N: Ah, petty petty revenge. Shame on you, Itachi.

I had a lot of fun doing this chapter, actually. The Akatsuki are hard to get right and keep in character, but it's even more fun to make them do funny things. For some strange unexplainable reason, Kisame has become dear to me. I have no idea why either. Please let me know what you think.

Deidara seems dead-set on finding out about Kagome. Wonder what would happen if he actually met her? Hmmm...

One question. What color are Itachi's natural eyes? Not the Sharingan. I keep wanting to say dark gray. Maybe really dark blue. It might be easier to just stick with black. Help!


	6. Emulating Chickens

Summary

Itachi underestimates Kagome... again.

And here's the next one! This thought came to my head while I was driving, ironically. It's funny, but also sad, in a way. I had to pull over to keep from getting into a car wreck at the funny thoughts though. So... Warning! Happy and Sad moments! Mostly happy... Yeah... Enjoy!

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"I think I want to work at the hospital," Kagome sighed, shifting in her seat and bringing the teacup to her lips.

Itachi gave the girl next to him an odd look. _'This is... completely out of the blue.'_

"... Why?"

"Well, I just thought I'd be good at it," the priestess replied, grinning sunnily at the Uchiha.

"Do you know any medical jargon? Wrapping techniques? What about reading charts and doling out medications?" Itachi fired off his questions lazily, wanting to get through this process as painlessly as possible. After all, that's what **friends** were for. Right? Note the sarcasm.

"... No. But I can learn all of that stuff! And I know how to wrap!" the raven-haired girl huffed, gracing him with an annoyed look. Itachi ignored it. Completely.

"Are you capable of dealing with the sickly?"

"I used to take care of my cat all the time when he got sick."

"Animal sickness is different from human illness. Where is he now?" Itachi declared, raising a brow at her blush.

"Living with my mom," the girl mumbled, looking slightly mournful.

"Do you have an aversion to blood?" the former Clan heir continued quickly, still not entirely comfortable with her melancholic attitude when it came to her past. To not know meant he didn't have to become anymore attached than was necessary. Which would be none, if he had his way. Too bad everyone else was, intentionally or unintentionally, conspiring against him. Sometimes life just sucked like that.

"I was really klutzy when I was little. I used to get cuts and scrapes all the time," Kagome rolled her eyes, wondering why her friend was quizzing her on this. _'It's not like I need his approval or anything.'_

"I meant a large amount of blood," Itachi countered, leveling her with that smug superior look that always seemed to rile the priestess up. He noticed her face paling, and shook his head.

"I... can deal with it." Now, she sounded unsure.

"There are several people, ninja included, that could potentially come in with severed arteries, bleeding stumps where limbs used to be, grievious injuries needing to be sewn up and fixed, wounds that would need to be cauterized..." he stopped when Kagome jumped up and bolted to the bathroom.

_'There is __**no way**__ she could work in a hospital.'_

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"That jerk! He did that on purpose," Kagome ground out, brushing her teeth frantically and spitting, "Talking about stuff like that is always nastier than when you actually **see** it." She had her time in the Feudal Era to thank for that. Truthfully, she'd seen more blood shed in those long months for a corrupted jewel than most surgeon's in her original era would ever see in their lifetime.

_'Doesn't mean I like to talk about it... or imagine it, at that.' _She huffed and trecked back downstairs, expecting to see a smug Uchiha sipping his tea at her kitchen island. Oh, but she was in for a treat instead.

Apparently, the Sharingan user had decided to test her nerve. By. Cutting. Open. His. Freaking. Arm.

His blood dripped morbidly onto the counter and the floor, the bloody knife sitting innocently next to the sink. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Kagome faintly knew that she was going to **make** the calm male clean up his own mess.

So instead, she completely lost it.

"What did you do that for? Have you gone **insane**?" Kagome shrieked, fluttering around him in a panic. He was getting blood on his shirt, his pants, all over the floor. "Oh God! Oh God! Oh God!"

"I am quite sane, thank you for asking. This, however, is a test."

"You're kidding, right?" He shook his head, not affected in the least at the blood dripping steadily from his wrist and onto her clean floor.

"If you cannot handle this, then there would be no need for you to work in the hospital," he replied calmly. Rationally.

"What makes you think you even have the **right** to do something like this?" she snapped, gingerly examining the sluggish way the bright red liquid pumped from his arm. He opened his mouth to answer, but she cut him off. "Don't answer that!"

Suddenly, she shoved him over to the sink, flipping on the water and pulling his arm under the spray. He flinched minutely. The water was **freezing**!

"You, stay here! I'm going to get some bandages. And possibly some thread and a needle," Kagome demanded, giving him a stern look before darting upstairs and leaving a bleeding Uchiha to watch the pink water swirl down the drain.

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Okay, so maybe he **had** been a little hasty in his decision. His arm hurt like a bitch and he'd lost a decent amount of blood.

_'Strange. I feel... lightheaded. I must have lost too much blood,' _Itachi thought when his vision began to blur.

"Itachi! Stay awake!" He could hear her, but he couldn't see her. The former heir opened his mouth to send her a biting retort, but nothing came out. _'I'm worse off than I thought. Did I open up the main artery in my arm?'_

Instead, he put forth the effort to listen to her voice. She babbled on about inane things. Work, the children she saw at the orphanage, her house, the herb garden she apparently kept out back, and several other things. Nothing really interested him, though, so Itachi began to drift off.

"Itachi! Listen to me!" Her voice brought him back and he finally put in the effort to focus his gaze onto her. Dare he think it, but she looked... worried.

"... Too... boring," he managed to get out. He felt her huff next to him and pull his arm out of the sink.

"Well, you barely nicked a deep vein, but the bleeding has slowed down a lot. The cut itself isn't really deep so you probably won't need stiches. I'm going to put this salve on it. It'll help it clot properly and get rid of infection. Then I'm going to bandage you up. After that, you're going to lay down for a while," Kagome explained all of this in a calm soothing tone and began her ministrations.

"... Sure."

"In the mean time, I'll tell you a story to keep you from passing out."

_'Does she think me a child? I stopped wanting stories by the time I was four!' _The Uchiha male glared and opened his mouth to say as much, but she interrupted.

"Don't give me that look, mister I-want-to-test-you! You'll listen, whether you want to or not!"

"... Fine." It was his turn to huff in annoyance. To his surprise, Kagome smiled.

"Good."

_'So much for my test,'_ Itachi thought, sighing inwardly and restraining the urge to bang his head on the counter, _'Why does nothing ever work the way I want it to around this girl?'_

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_"Once upon a time, there was a priestess and a inu-hanyou. The priestess was a kind young woman who was loved by everyone in her village. _

_The hanyou, on the other hand, was cold and angry because the world shunned him. For he was neither accepted by his fellow demon because of his weak human blood, nor was he welcomed by the humans due to his demon heritage. _

_But he wasn't just angry, he was alone. And despite being surrounded by people that adored her, and a sister that idolized her, the priestess was also alone." _Despite his earlier protests, Kagome was an excellent storyteller. Already, he could see the characters that she was weaving.

_"One day, the priestess was given a great task. She was to become the guardian of an ancient artifact that man and demon alike lusted after. It held great power, and was required to have someone with a pure heart as it's protector. _

_But her heart was not pure. Inside she was angry and sad. She would never be allowed to live a normal happy life. And more than anything, she wanted to have a family of her own. Her dream denied because of her pure blood and her holy powers, she dutifully accepted her fate and became the Guardian."_ He could sympathize with the priestess. All he had ever wanted was a loving family and a happy ending as well. Sadly, his dream would always be just that; a dream.

_"The hanyou, hearing about the power of the sacred artifact, came to pursue the guardian in order to obtain the artifact's power. He wanted, more than anything, to become a full demon. Several instances, they faced off, one resolute, the other jealously coveting. Each time, though, the priestess could never finish the hanyou off. She could feel the sadness in his heart and it struck a chord within her own."_

"You seem to know this story well," Itachi interrupted. Kagome jumped slightly, blushing for become so engrossed in her memories, and slowly began to wrap the bandages around the S-class criminal's arm.

"Well, My... grandpa used to tell it to me all the time growing up," she lied, hating herself for having to do so. Unnoticed to her, Itachi's eyes narrowed just slightly.

"... Indeed. You may continue." She shot his a nasty look and huffed.

"Fine, but don't interrupt me again."

_"One day, instead of fighting with him, she invited him over to sit with her as she gathered herbs to take back to the poor village. The hanyou, having never learned how to trust anyone, at first refused. But after watching the priestess for a few days, each time given the invitation to join her, he finally gave in and sat with her. They spoke not at all the first few encounters. Soon though, they began to have conversations. _

_To their amazement, they found that they had several things in common. Both enjoyed watching the sun sink to the earth and the stars come out. Both liked cold winter days and the way the world looked bathed in a snowy blanket. And both disliked the night of the new moon; for their own reasons, of course. _

_Eventually, they became friends, then later lovers. For once in their lonely lives, they were truly happy. And when the priestess made the suggestion to use the artifact she guarded to turn the hanyou into a human, he agreed. _

_But their happiness wouldn't last. For in the shadows, unbeknownst to the two, lurked a dark and truly evil prescence. He longed for the priestess that was in love with the inu-hanyou. Her kindness and beauty were known far and wide, and though he was a human bandit, he would sacrifice anything to have her. And he did. He gave away his humanity to be devoured by countless demons and became a demon himself. He schemed and planned; stratigized of ways to take the priestess from the hanyou. Eventually though, his plans changed. Instead of the priestess, he began to desire the artifact which she took pains to guard. _

_And finally, his greatest plan worked. He forced the lovers to betray eachother. In the disguise of her lover, he struck down the priestess, wounding her fatally, and stole the atrifact away, leaving her to die. And appearing before the hanyou, dressed as his priestess, he attempted to end his life. The inu-hayou, convinced that his soon-to-be-wife had abandoned and betrayed him, rampaged into her small village, stole the artifact, and planned to make his intitial wish to become a full demon. _

_At the last moment, however, the priestess appeared and shot him with an enchanted arrow. Surprised and anguished, he cried out to her one last time before succumbing to an eternal sleep that only she would be able to remove."_

Kagome stopped, swiping at the tears in the corner of her eyes, and tightened the knot on Itachi's bandage before patting it gently. She didn't want to look at him. Inuyasha and Kikyo's story always made her upset. _'Though I'm not quite sure why I decided to tell him.'_

"I take it the priestess died shortly after," Itachi deduced, clenching his injured hand and wincing slightly. He **hated** seeing girls cry. Especially this one.

"Yes. The villagers burned the artifact with her body and her spirit took it to the afterlife. It was never heard from again," Kagome concluded, nodding and hopping up, "Now, let's get you over to the couch. You need to regain your strength, and that means staying for a little while."

"Must I?" he asked out of habit, though he wouldn't decline the offer if she continued to push.

"Yes!"

"... Very well. If you insist." She needlessly helped him over to the couch and fussed over him unnecessarily, instructing him to lay down while she went and cleaned up the bandages and blood.

_'He's in no condition to be cleaning. Even if he's a jerk and decided to bleed all over everything.'_

"... I was wrong." Kagome spun around to face the quiet Uchiha reclining on her couch.

"Eh?"

"You'll do... fine at the hospital." The smile she gave him made his poor heart stutter several beats. He valiantly tried to ignore it and the fact that it became slightly harder to breathe. She disappeared, and he finally took a moment to relax, mulling over the story she had told him. It was... tragic, really, though he suspected there was a different ending than the artifact just disappearing like that. It was too... sudden. He glanced up when she came back in with the bloody knife in her hand and an odd look on her face.

"Is the knife you used to... you know, the one by the sink?" He nodded.

"... You do realize I used that knife earlier today to cube some chicken, right?" Itachi's face paled slightly. No, he didn't know that.

_'That would explain why it hurts like hell. I thought it was just the serrated edges of the knife.'_

"And I thought you were smarter than that," Kagome grumbled, shaking her head at the slightly traumitized look that crossed the Uchiha's face, "Typical boy."

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"What the hell happened to you?" Kisame roared, in a way that was beginning to sound familiar. This caused the other member in the room to look up suddenly. Deidara looked up from his cereal and proceeded to drop his spoon dramatically. It clattered to the table loudly.

Itachi shrugged and opened the freezer. His arm hurt and he was hungry.

"I was... careless, Kisame. There is no need to yell, need I remind you," the Uchiha leveled a Sharingan-enhanced glare at his partner. Pulling out a carton of vanilla ice-cream, he made a split decision and set it on the counter. If there was nothing else more appetizing, he would suffer through the indignity of the sweet frozen treat.

"Careless how?" Deidara spluttered, keeping his eyes on the Uchiha browsing for food.

"Just... careless," Itachi supplied vaguely, opening the fridge and hoping for something in the teriyaki division of food. Looking in, he noticed some chicken and cringed slightly before quickly slamming the door shut. He wasn't hungry for normal food anymore. Nor would he** ever **look at poultry the same way again. Especially after all the diseases and nasty things Kagome had listed off that you could "aquire" from said poultry. With that thought in place, he scooped out some ice-cream into a dish, put the carton back in the freezer, and left. All the while, ignoring Kisame and Deidara's astonished gazes as they followed him out of the room.

"... He **never **eats ice-cream!" Deidara growled, leaning over to try and catch a glimpse of the retreating Uchiha.

"Something's wrong with him," the shark-man nodded, no longer interested in his white tuna sushi.

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The fearless leader of the criminal organization known as the Akatsuki smothered a groan and rubbed his temples. Judging by Kisame's screaming, it sounded like the Uchiha boy had finally returned from his outing to the village.

_'I should be worried that he's getting attached to someone there, but he seems... happier? ... Is that even the right way of looking at this situation?'_

"Leader-sama?"

Pein swivelled around to face his youngest member, noting that the boy had his left arm bandaged from elbow to wrist. "Itachi."

_'Please tell me he didn't get into an accident! Or a fight!'_

"... If I begin to emulate anything remotely poultry-like, please kill me." His request made, the young Uchiha began the trek to his room, ice-cream in tow.

"... What?"

"That includes developing a sudden unexplainable urge for corn." Pein blinked, for once, completely stumped with the workings of Itachi's mind.

"... If that was a joke, it was horrible."

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A/N: I know a lot of people don't like Kikyo. I was the same way. Then I grew up, and I realized that her story is actually very tragic. She was so close to happiness and it was ripped away from her just like that. So now I just kind of pity her. However, that doesn't mean that she's not a Class A bitch either. Because she is.

Anywhoozles, Review and tell me what you think. Or if you have an idea you'd like to contribute. It would be awesome if I could get between 10 and 15 reviews. If not, oh well. It's not like I'll stop writing.


	7. Moving Target

Summary

Never make the girl with a weapon mad at you. Never.

A/N: Oh... my... God... 100+ reviews? You guys don't know how much I've been wanting to say this, but THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED! I can't believe how many people like this! I'm absolutely thrilled! I'm going to faint in happiness! See, here I go! -faints-

On a different note, I really enjoyed typing this one-shot up. I laughed the whole time I came up with the idea. So, for your entertainment, I give you...

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The priestess was focused. Her grip was secure. The wind was even acknowledging her wish by not blowing around. And her aim would be true this time. With that thought, Kagome let the arrow fly from her bow with a whoosh.

It missed her target by an entire tree-length. She screamed in indignation and considered throwing her bow next time.

"You have horrible aim. Not to mention, your stance leaves you completely open to attack." She almost shot him, scared as she was. Instead, she leveled her patented Glare of Doom at the Uchiha. He wasn't phased. At all.

"I know. That's why I'm practicing. I'm actually better with moving targets," Kagome countered sweetly, giving the Uchiha an evil grin that had him swearing inwardly.

_'Note to self... again: __**Never**__ make this girl angry. It doesn't matter if she looks cute when she's angry... Just **don't do it**! And stop using the 'c-word', damn it!'_

"I refuse to be a pin cushion for your target practice," Itachi replied bravely, watching with sharp eyes as the priestess idly twirled the arrow in her fingers.

"I'm not that bad!" The Uchiha snorted elegantly. Kagome's eye twitched in agitation.

"Not only did you miss the target, but the entire **tree** as well," he countered, glancing at the scattered arrows, then at the chastised female in boredom.

"Not that it matters, but you think **you **can do better?" she muttered, glancing at the targets surrounding them.

"Undoubtedly."

"Really... Prove it!" the priestess growled, crossing her arms and waiting for the show. He shrugged in agreement.

_'I suppose I can let her in on one little secret.'_

If there was anything she found out about Itachi Uchiha that day, it was that he **always** took up a challenge.

He shifted into his stance and flipped into the air, volleying kunai here and there in an intricate display of showman-ship. When he landed in the middle of the targets a moment later, it was gracefully and without a hair out of place. His injured arm only hurt just slightly. _'I would do well not to open it in front of her, lest she try to fix it again.'_

_'He just hit fifteen targets within the span of a few seconds,' _Kagome thought faintly, glancing at all the targets with a slightly sick feeling in her stomach, _'and they're all bulls-eyes! No fair!'_

"Well... You didn't **tell** me you were a **ninja**!" The priestess floundered for a foothold, but knew she had lost this argument. Itachi only smirked at her in triumph.

"I didn't think it **mattered**," he replied smugly.

"... Smug show off."

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A/N: Gah! He's such a smug Uchiha! Another short one. But I couldn't really see it being any longer. It got my point across without it being too wordy. This will be the shortest one-shot though. That I can guarantee. The next one will be longer. Anyways, review please! And Thank You All Once Again!


	8. Fearless

Summary

She's not as fearless as she lets on. Itachi bravely fights an important battle... of sorts.

A/N: So I had a lot of fun typing this one. So, here's the next chapter! Enjoy! Interestingly enough, when I typed this out, I was humming Owl City's 'Hot Air Balloon'. I imagined Itachi and Kagome doing the things in the song and just went 'Awwwwww! So out of character but so cute!' Take a listen. It's fun!

Also, I have an incredibly important author's note at the end. So, please take a moment to look at that.

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Kagome hummed quietly to herself as she got ready for the day. There was a list of chores she needed to get done, and grocery shopping was at the top of her list. Along with laundry. Her cupboards were becoming scarce and she needed fresh vegetables; She would only resort to eating that ramen if it was the last thing in there... and if she was starving.

_'It's a shame Itachi's not here. I'd ask him to help me carry things,'_ the priestess thought, smirking at the mental image of her friend laden down with shopping bags, _'Though, if I have to be honest, he would probably refuse.'_ She shrugged and looked in her closet before frowning. All of her normal clothes were dirty, and the only things left were her more traditional clothes. She disliked wearing those. It reminded her too much of the Feudal Era.

"Well... They aren't going to clean themselves," the girl mumbled, pulling out the first thing she saw before hastily shoving it back into the depths of her closet. She **was not **wearing those traditional priestess robes. She'd rather lose an eye. Plus the attention would be ridiculous. Kagome stared down her closet in a showdown, glancing from one thing to the next before finally sighing and deciding on **that**.

A pair of dark blue hakamas and a matching sleeveless haori came out of the closet after her initial decision. Flipping through her tank tops, she chose a light pink one that would accent the blue nicely. Finally, she chose a matching pink obi that she would tie in a butterfly shape and would have long tails hanging down to her knees.

"I'm doing laundry as soon as I get back," she grumbled, pulling the silky fabrics from their hangers and starting to dress.

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Itachi wasn't quite sure if he would accomplish it or not without being detected, but, taking present company into account, he was sneaking out. And there wasn't a damn thing anyone could do about it.

_'They're driving me crazy with all their blathering and questions,' _the Uchiha thought, glancing around carefully before sliding along the wall towards the door. His fingers barely brushed the knob before a hand snatched his wrist. He jerked and brandished a kunai, Sharingan whirling and baring his teeth in a snarl before relaxing slightly. He **hated it **when the Leader sneaked up on him. It made him feel... inferior; like a child all over again.

"Going out again, Itachi?" Pein asked, releasing the younger male and smirking. The Uchiha just stood there silently. The Leader shook his head. "Just remember where your loyalties lie, boy."

"Of course, **Leader-sama**," the Sharingan user bit out, sarcasm lacing the last two words heavily. He turned, pulled open the door, and stalked out. This was a complete waste of time. He had better things to do.

Pein stared after the Uchiha before letting out a sigh and running a hand through his bright hair.

"He's beginning to rebel. What will you do if he turns?" the orange-haired man said to the shadows. Something shifted in them, giving him the impression that he wasn't alone.

"He will not. He's much too mature for fits of teenage rebellion. Besides, there's far too much at stake for Itachi to do something so... **juvenille**," a dark voice answered, malice coating his words. Pein nodded, only slightly reassured, and left.

"There is, however, the possibility of the boy finding something to protect," the voice continued quietly, musing out loud for the benefit of no one, "and **that** is unacceptable in a puppet."

_'If worse comes to worse, I will remedy the situation myself.' _The candle in the room flickered ominously, revealing piercing Sharingan orbs for an instant before the light was snuffed out.

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_Something wicked this way comes,' _the priestess thought, suppressing a shiver and glancing around in paranoia. The marketplace was bright and full of happy shoppers. The day was beautiful, and for once there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Kagome sighed and pushed the 'bad feeling' to the back of her mind to analyze later.

_'I can't let it get to me. Right now, I have shopping to do!' _The girl smiled, waving at one of the neighbors she recognized. The woman waved back and smiled, jostling her young child and pointing in the direction of the priestess. The little girl grinned hugely and waved back enthusiastically. Kagome laughed and pointed at her basket. They smiled and moved on, each making a silent promise to catch up with the other later.

"Okay! Let's see what I can find," the priestess muttered to herself, glancing around with bright eyes, "I hope they have mangos!"

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He huffed in annoyance and paced in front of Kagome's front door. On one hand he wanted to just ring the bell and go in. Maybe have some of that herbal tea the priestess had taken to feeding him. On another hand, the words that Pein had left him with put him on edge. Not to mention Madara's presence had been downright chilling. The last thing he wanted was to lead his ancestor straight to an innocent civilian's door.

Still, another part of him wanted to be done with Kagome altogether. It was his most logical side, and the one he usually listened to the most, but for once, he wanted to have something for his own.

_'Something to... protect.' _Itachi shook his head and cleared his mind. He'd think on it later. Right now, there was a priestess to annoy.

He opened the window and slipped in undetected, immediately noticing that she wasn't home. The Uchiha glared at the wall, once again annoyed at the fact that he had wasted so much time debating when she wasn't even here. He really didn't like waiting, but he absolutely **refused** to go out there and find her. Not when it was so bright out and the people were **everywhere**. He hated crowds almost as much as he disliked sweet things.

"So, waiting it is."

Oh how the mighty have fallen.

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It was afternoon before her strange chakra signature buffeted his senses. it was odd, but it seemed as though he could... feel it. Itachi narrowed his eyes, concentrating briefly and memorizing the feeling before making his way towards the door. Yes, she was out there, and yes, she seemed agitated, but why didn't she just **come in already**?

"Must I do everything myself?" the Uchiha sighed, opening the door and leveling the girl outside with a look that screamed annoyed. He **would not** comment on her outfit, which suited her just as well as her other clothes would.

_'I daresay had she chosen red and white she'd be dressed in Uchiha colors.' _His eyes darkened briefly at the thought before he got a hold of himself. There were no Uchiha colors; Just like there was no Uchiha Clan anymore.

"Itachi? How'd you get in?" He restrained the urge to blink. Something was off about her. She seemed almost... jittery.

"... No honorific? And through the window." She had the decency to blush while muttering under her breath about ninjas and using the front door.

"Sorry. If it bothers you I can-!" Kagome started but he interrupted her for once.

"It's fine. Are you coming in?" he asked, waving off the lack of respect. Such things didn't matter to him anymore; Had stopped mattering after the massacre.

"Umm... Yeah. I'm coming." There it was again! That flash of fear that had his stomach bottoming out and looking around for traps and danger. Her eyes jumped to the upper corner of her door then back to him in paranoia. He glanced up... and finally noticed the spiderweb up above them.

_'Is she...'_Itachi shrugged and reached up to pluck the 'monster' from its place.

"You're afraid... of spiders," Itachi deadpanned, holding the tiny eight-legged creature up for inspection. It wasn't even poisonous. Just a common house spider that had made the corner of the door frame it's home overnight. How was it that she wasn't scared of him, a ninja that could easily kill her, and yet she was terrified to death of a minuscule thing like an eight-legged creepy-crawler?

"NO! Um... Maybe a little?" Kagome responded, cringing away when the Uchiha flipped the arachnid over to check it's belly. She shuddered, which he noticed immediately, and followed the spider's path with her blue eyes as he tossed it aside in a careless fashion. It disappeared into the bushes a few feet away and she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"I never pegged you as the type to let your fears get to you," the Sharingan master stated, whisking the web away from the corner and beckoning her inside again.

"They normally don't. It took me by surprise. I just... don't like them," the priestess muttered, shuffling inside and setting down her groceries. "Thank you... for getting rid of it."

"Makes me wonder what else you're afraid of," Itachi countered softly, patting the frazzled girl's head before snatching the refrigerated food and putting it away.

"... Centipedes," the raven-haired girl replied a moment later and absentmindedly smoothing down her messy hair. He glanced up just in time to see a haunted look flit across her face before it was gone.

_'Note to self: Check for bugs around the house.'_

He'd be damned if he **ever** saw that kind of fear on her face again. Not if he could prevent it. If he was going to do something right for once, he would do his very best to keep this girl happy. Even if it killed him.

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A/N: Awww! Protective Itachi is so heroic... When it suits him, of course. Lolz! Here he comes to save the day! And he looks fabulous!

And the plot rears it's ugly head for a brief moment! Or at least Madara. Anyone else see that tiny little Inuyasha blurb? How about the Harry Potter one? Where were they? What were they?

So, I'll see you all next time! Until then, please feel free to leave a review. That would be awesome.

**Now, on to the bad news.** I may be going on a small hiatus. My mom's been in and out of the hospital since last thursday because she's been having micro strokes and extremely high blood pressure. I'll be honest. I'm absolutely terrified. I've been taking her to her appointments and all so it's not giving me a lot of time to write right now. I'm still working on my chapters, they just won't be coming out as quickly as before. So please excuse my possible absence for a little while until things calm down in the real world.

I will not give up! I have very interesting plans for this series. So, until then, I will hopefully see you all soon. Thanks for you're patience. It may be a bumpy ride for a little while.


	9. The Old Well

Summary

Her birthday was a reminder of her past...

A/N: I just want to say thank you to all the people who wish my mom and I well. She's doing much better, though she's not quite in the green. I'm still keeping an eye out, so updates may be a little slow. That being said, thank you all for your patience.

I've got to say, this was the hardest chapter for me to do because I had so many similar scenarios for this particular moment. It was rough, but I managed to do my mind justice. In the end, I think it turned out fairly well. This one-shot is sad-ish. But it's very important to the plot. Yeah, there's a plot somewhere in all this. Anyway, please enjoy! Also there's another note at the end. A good note.

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Kagome sighed and watched the rain come down from the relative safety of her home. Tomorrow, she would be 17. While most girls, and people in general, were thrilled to celebrate their birthdays, she wasn't as keen to remember all the things that signified her date of birth.

On her 4th birthday, she tripped down the shrine stairs and broke her wrist. She spent that birthday in the hospital. Despite the fact that her playmates and parents had been there, it really sucked in the mind of a child to be confined to a bed on her special day.

On her 7th birthday, it had rained heavily. She had wanted an outside party, but they had to move it indoors, lest her friends got wet and sick. Little Kagome had scowled, but given in when the other children hadn't minded. It had also been the day that her father would be coming home from his business trip, and she was thrilled to know that he hadn't forgotten her. After her friends had left and he hadn't shown, however, she had begun to worry. Late that night, the police had come around to announce that Kosuke Higurashi had hydroplaned off the road and been in a fatal accident. Later that week, Little Kagome watched quietly as her beloved father was laid to rest.

On her 11th birthday, Souta had gone missing while they had been at the mall. Luckily, the security guards had found him and a stricken Mama Higurashi had been sent to the hospital for trauma. It had been a very dull birthday indeed.

And finally, on her 15th birthday, Kagome had been pulled down the old well on her family's shrine and sent to the past to complete the painstaking task of guarding and piecing together the Shikon no Tama.

Last year, she had spent the time in the Amegakure hospital recovering from life-threatening injuries. With being in and out of consciousness for several days, her 16th birthday had passed without her even realizing it.

One thing that had been consistent, though, was that through all the the good and bad birthdays, she always had someone to turn to. Someone that she could lean on and celebrate or mourn with.

This year, her neighbors were keeping to their selves, the elderly couple that had taken her in for a while were celebrating their anniversary, and Itachi was off in a land far away. This year, she would be alone for her birthday.

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There was something in his gut that was telling him he was in the wrong place. And it was interfering with his work. It had started as a niggling feeling when they had set out a week and a half ago, and now it was a raging typhoon that threatened to knock him to his knees.

Itachi would never say it out loud, and never to Kisame, but he was worried about something. Their mission had been easy enough. Spy on Kirigakure and see what they were up to. After all, the village Hidden in the Mist had, at one point, had two Jinchuuriki. They were bound to be up to something after a while.

That and Pein was a paranoid pain in the ass sometimes. One had to wonder why he had recruited Kisame.

He knew, though, that something was about to happen today. It didn't come as a surprise that he wanted to hurry back to the base. Hopefully, he could even go make sure Kagome hadn't gotten into trouble while he was away. Even if the others weren't keen on letting him go, he'd be damned if they stopped him.

So while the others were occupied with their own trivialties, Itachi slipped out into the pouring rain unnoticed for once.

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She sat at the lip of the old well, gazing forlornly down into its depths. Two years ago today, she had made her first time travel endeavour into the past. And now...

_'Now look at me. I'm still sitting here just waiting for something to happen,' _Kagome thought, rubbing her hand against the familiar grain under her. She felt the self-pity rise up to try and overwhelm her again, but she pushed it aside ruthlessly. It wouldn't do any good to feel sorry for herself; especially when she was still trying to investigate the reason why the well had deposited its time-traveler in a completely different dimension. The priestess took a deep breath and settled herself on the edge once again.

"Okay, Kagome-girl! Don't get discouraged," she told herself, glaring into the dark depths before making her decision, "You tried last year and it wouldn't let you through, but maybe this year, it'll be different." A drop of water hit her nose and Kagome looked up in a huff. The sky seemed to mock her and opened up, letting water rain down on the earth. She was soaked in a matter of minutes. So nodding to herself, the raven-haired girl slid off the edge and into the former time portal, hoping it would send her back to her loved ones.

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He'd been right to listen to that 'very bad feeling' in the end. Kagome hadn't been home. In fact, the entire house was dark, which was unusual in itself. The Uchiha had learned that another thing the priestess didn't care for was the dark. Though he loved it (it was easy on his sensitive eyes), she always seemed to have some kind of light on in her home. She had said it was to deter robbers. He was pretty sure it was to discourage any night-crawlers. Or spiders. Whichever she happened to see first.

After quickly confirming with one of the less suspicious neighbors that the young woman hadn't been seen since early morning, he set out in an attempt to find the priestess and get her safely home. He knew she would be a troublemaker the moment he met her in that drugstore.

After all, that's what **friends** were for. Right?

He flared out his senses, his dark eyes bleeding red with the Sharingan, in an effort to locate her strange chakra. It took longer than he had anticipated, and he had to refrain from using several curse words that would make him look undignified, but found her he did...

At the bottom of an old well crying her eyes out.

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She hated herself for being so weak. The hype she'd gotten herself into was crashing down around her, and all she had to show for it was a twisted ankle, a sore bottom, and dirty wet clothes.

_'I'll never get home! At least I would have accepted being taken back to the Feudal Era!' _Kagome thought, sniffling enormously before trying again to pick herself back up. She put too much pressure on her left foot and went tumbling down onto her bum again. Shrieking loudly, she gave up, curling herself into a ball and trying to huddle from the downpour as tears of frustration and sorrow mixed with the rain.

"And here I thought you were more intelligent than this," a voice deadpanned from above. The priestess gasped, snapping her head up and trying to locate the person at the top of the well. The aura was... incredibly familiar.

"... Itachi?"

"Who else would go looking for you in this kind of weather?" Kagome blinked before glaring up at the Uchiha prodigy.

"Well, it's not like I was asking for you come find me!" she retorted scathingly, shoving her drenched hair out of her face. She heard him tsk before dropping into the well. She sorely noted that he landed perfectly in a crouch next to her. _'Show off.'_

"Nevertheless, I have. Now why are you in this old well?" the Sharingan user asked, huffing slightly when his hair fell into his now dark eyes. He pushed his overly-long bangs away and settled an unnerving look on the priestess.

"I..." Kagome trailed off. She had no idea how to answer him without sounding like a complete lunatic. _'I can't exactly tell him that I time-traveled here and am trying to get home... can I?'_

Itachi sighed and leaned closer to her to block some of the rain coming down. Then he asked very softly, "... Did you jump on purpose?" The dark-haired girl blinked in confusion for a moment before comprehension dawned on her. She flushed darkly.

"I'm not suicidal, if that's what you're asking," Kagome muttered, avoiding Itachi's piercing gaze.

"Then why are you here?"

"I'm... a priestess," the girl replied hesitantly. She took a deep breath before plowing ahead, not allowing him time to get a word in edgewise, "See, I found out I was a priestess when I was fifteen. This well is connected to the magic that I can wield. I... have to make sure it's still... there." She looked up at him to see what his reaction would be.

"... Is that... so?" Itachi questioned haltingly. _'A priestess? Like the kind in those old legends I used to read about when I was a child?' _But really, was such a thing even possible? Kagome nodded, blue eyes imploring him to understand.

"I'm not a very good one. I can sense auras, and I only know a little healing. My archery sucks because I was never really taught properly. I'm good with herbs, though, and my powers flare up when I get emotional. But, other than that, I'm pretty normal," Kagome explained quickly, words pouring from her mouth before she could stop them. There was something about the missing-nin in front of her; it made her feel like she could trust him with such a heavy secret. "No one else knows, and I don't really want anyone else to know. I wanted a clean slate, you know?"

"I... understand the notion. But why are you telling me all this? You hardly know me, and you don't seem the type to just tell anyone about something so..."

_'Ridiculous? Unbelievable?'_

"-phenominal," the former heir countered, gently taking hold of Kagome's injured ankle and examining it. There was a high possibility that she had merely twisted it from landing wrong. He would know. He'd seen several people do so. Including his younger brother.

"I don't really know why," the priestess sighed, wincing slightly when the Sharingan user twisted her foot a certain way. That **hurt**! "There's something about you, Itachi. I feel like... I can trust you." The last four words were whispered as she blushed in embarrassment. Itachi, though he **would not show it**, was shocked.

_'She __**trusts**__ me?' _the Uchiha thought, setting her foot down much more gently than he had originally wanted to. She continued quickly.

"So, promise me you won't tell anyone? Please?"

Something flared in his heart and he belatedly recognized it as pride. _'Should I be... proud that she wants to open up to me so fully? Is that really the best option?'_ He glanced at her, only to find her waiting with baited breath and large blue eyes for his answer.

"... I will not breathe a word," he finally muttered, even if he wasn't really sure if he believed her or not. He wasn't entirely prepared for her reaction.

"Thankyou thankyou thankyou!" Kagome murmured, colliding with the male and hugging him tightly, her chin resting on his shoulder comfortibly. Itachi sucked in a breath and caught a whiff of her shampoo. It was... nice. Like vanilla and plum.

_'I __**did not**__ just use the n-word again!' _he thought miserably, resigning himself to being glomped by the female. Sadly, he really didn't mind one bit. What he did mind was that he would be keeping yet another secret from Madara. Not that he wished for the older Uchiha to know everything that went on in his life; however, his ancestor would, no doubt, try to use Kagome's so-called 'powers' to aid his attempts at collecting the Tailed-Beasts that much faster.

That was something Itachi simply **would not allow**. Not even if it killed him.

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Eventually, he managed to pry the girl off of him, wrap her bad ankle in a temporary splint, load her onto his back with very little fuss, and vault his way out of the old abandoned well with the priestess in tow. It was high time for them to be heading back to civilization; not to mention he could just feel it in his bones that he was going to be sick soon.

_'And this is why I really dislike the rain,' _Itachi thought, sniffling quietly and trying not to disturb his sleepy companion.

She clung to his back, resting her head on his shoulder in silence. He continued to trek towards her home, avoiding puddles carefully and keeping his hands firmly in place near her knees. Glancing down at her injured ankle, the Uchiha sighed inwardly. He knew she would be trouble.

"Itachi?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you... for coming to find me. And for understanding," the priestess muttered, turning her head and kissing his cheek lightly. Itachi barely restrained the urge to drop her in shock. Instead, he cursed under his breath, willing the heat to fade from his face.

"... You're welcome."

Kagome smiled warmly and suggled in for the piggy-back ride home.

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A/N: And Kagome spills part of the big secret to her new bestie. Itachi should be honored. I wonder how that's going to play out later. They seem to be coming along nicely, don't you think? That's it for now! Please review!

So now that that's out of the way, I have an announcement. I want to work on another Itachi/Kagome. It would be more along an actual story-type thing. The summary will be in my profile, so tell me what you guys think. Should I go for it? PM me or let me know in a review on what you think if you want.


	10. Tea Girl

Summary

Itachi gets sick and it's up to Konan to go get medicine. She unintentionally decides to pay a visit to a certain priestess...

A/N: Holy crap! Over 170 reviews? You guys are so awesome! See stuff like that always makes me so excited! I'm such a dork. On a completely different note, my husband brought me home several Timeskip Naruto plushies that he **won in a crane game**! I now have Neji, Gaara, Kakashi, and Shikamaru! He said there was a Naruto too, so I will wait patiently for that one. I really want an Itachi one. Badly. If I somehow got one for Christmas, I would be the happiest girl alive. Lolz!

Time for a little plot development!

So this is the culmination of everyone wanting Kagome to meet the Akatsuki. And it'll happen... one by one. That's all I'm giving you. Enjoy!

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_'I don't understand how they all thought me to be the nurturing type,'_ Konan thought sourly, flinging water from her hair in agitation, _'Just because I'm female does __**not**__ mean I'm good at taking care of people.' _The blue-haired missing-nin sighed inwardly, glancing around her in annoyance as she made her way down the street.

Really though, didn't Itachi know better than to frolic out in the rain excessively? The boy got sick easily, what with his failing lungs and all. It made him much more susceptible to dying a lot sooner than the rest of them.

Regardless, Pein had **not **been happy when he'd found out about the Uchiha's late visit to the village the other day. He'd been similarly displeased when he realized that Itachi had gotten sick from it too. It had meant sending Deidara and Sasori on the next mission instead of Kisame and the young Uchiha. _'For someone that was acclaimed to be the most intelligent prodigy in his former clan, Itachi sure can be dense sometimes.'_

Shortly after getting the necessary medicine for the former heir, it began to rain heavily again. To save face, and avoid getting any more drenched than she already was, Konan ducked into a quiet-looking tea shop to wait out the downpour. And perhaps purchase a decent cup of tea.

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Kagome sighed as she prodded the tea bag with a pair of tongs. Today was a very boring day, and though she had been called in to work, the traffic in the tea shop was mediocre at best. With the rain and all, she'd hoped that it would be busier to help keep her mind off of certain things; Inuyasha, Itachi, her current situation with still being stuck. She was still slightly depressed; what with the well not letting her through again and Itachi leaving shortly after depositing her in her home. Things were starting to look up, though. The Uchiha seemed to not mind her presence as much as before. Maybe he would eventually see her as a friend too.

_'That's probably a long way off though. After all, it took Inuyasha weeks before he even started calling me by my name,'_ the priestess thought, lifting the bag from the tea pot and throwing it in the trash. She proceeded to stir the contents in the pot before pouring it into a small ceramic cup. _'Why do I always have such crap-tastic luck when it comes to boys?'_

"Kagome! You have a customer at table 6!" one of the other girls, Satsumi, called out, sticking her head in the kitchen and smiling genially.

"M'kay! I'm coming!" the priestess replied, throwing her hair back up in a pony tail and scooting out the door, tea in hand. She passed by one of her tables, gently set down the cup, smiled at her customer, and made her way to table 6. A lone woman was sitting facing the window, her dark blue hair gleaming in the low light. She was quietly folding a piece of paper in an intricate fashion and Kagome was momentarily mesmerized by her skillful fingers.

"Is that... an origami rose?" she asked before she could stop herself, drawing the woman out of her thoughts. Bright amber eyes stared back at her and she sucked in a breath to prevent the sudden onslaught of emotions at the polished color.

_'Her eyes... Inuyasha.'_

"... Yes. It is," she replied, glancing at her flower then at the waitress in consternation. She looked like... Was this girl...

"It's lovely. I was terrible at folding paper. I could never get the edges to match up," Kagome babbled, grinning in self-mockery at her remembered attempts to fold paper cranes shortly after her father's death. She'd childishly hoped to fold one thousand of them in order to grant her wish to bring him back. That was the mentality of her seven-year old self; always wanting what she couldn't have.

"It's a skill that one must practice with to become better," her customer countered softly, holding up the blue rose to the light before nodding.

"Yeah," the priestess replied awkwardly, shifting from foot to foot before finally adding, "My name is Kagome, by the way. Can I get you anything? Tea, or something warm to eat? You look like you got stuck out in the rain."

"... Yes. A cup of oolong tea... Kagome," the blue-haired woman finally said, turning back to watch the rain solemnly. Kagome nodded, stated that she'd be right back, and scurried off to fulfill her order.

_'She seems... sad. I wonder if the rain makes her think of melancholy things too?'_ the dark-haired girl thought, shaking her head and heading into the kitchen.

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Konan watched to younger girl leave in the reflection of the glass in front of her. Now she could understand why Itachi was so drawn to the child. She was...

_'Warm. Kind. And truly honest. Unlike anyone I've ever met before,' _the missing-nin thought, examining the flower in her hand again before making her decision. If Itachi wished to protect the girl, then she would allow it. This one was someone worth keeping close.

_'Just like Yahiko.'_ Her heart hurt at the thought, but she bore it with resilience. It was time for a new generation to make better decisions than hers.

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"Here you go! Oolong tea. I brought some lemon slices too. It's a little unconventional, but it makes it kinda zingy," Kagome carefully set down the cup and lemon, smiling kindly to the older woman, "If you need anything else, just ask for me, okay?"

"I will. Thank you, Kagome," she replied, stirring her tea quietly before hesitating slightly. Making up her mind, the blue-haired woman finally picked up a slice of lemon and dunked it into her tea.

"You're welcome!"

"... Konan."

"Eh?"

"My name." Kagome blinked, confused slightly, before an enormous smile broke out and lit up her features.

"It's nice to meet you, Konan-san," she said, bowing politely and truly meaning her words.

"You as well. I've heard a bit about you," Konan replied, lips quirking slightly in rememberance of all the times the youngest member of her team coming home roughed up. Not to mention all the times Kisame had started screaming about the end of the world.

She blinked again, blue eyes wide in shock. But how? She'd never met this woman before in her-?

"Are you part of that group thing Ita-!"

"He's a bit sick right now, so I'm taking some medicine back to him," the former Rain kunoichi interrupted, tilting her head to the side when Kagome's face paled slightly in worry, "It's just a cold. He gets them every once in a while. The idiot should know better than to be frolicking in the rain though."

"Are you sure? I have some herbs at home that might help?" Kagome asked, biting her lip in agitation. Konan shook her head.

"It's best not to worry. He's a strong boy. He'll bounce back." The priestess finally nodded, asking if she needed anything else, to which the kunoichi replied in the negative, before skirting off to check on her other table.

Yes, Kagome was something else, and she would be the one to draw the quiet Uchiha out of his shell. Now, if only she could keep Madara from finding out about her.

When she was finished and the rain had let up, Konan stood, leaving a generous tip on the table and proceeding to the younger girl. Kagome looked up and beamed at her.

"Everything all right?"

"... Yes. I need to get going though," she replied, reaching up to secure something in the priestess's dark hair, "I won't need change. Thank you." With that, the lone female Akatsuki member swept from the tea shop elegantly and stepped onto the quiet dimly-lit streets. Kagome followed her movements in awe until she disappeared and raised a hand to her hair. She smiled.

A perfect blue origami rose was pinned into her long tresses.

_'I hope I get to talk to her again. She seems... nice.'_

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Itachi groaned and rolled over in his bed. He **hated **being sick. More than he hated Deidara's interrogation tactics. More than when his brother used to whine about not getting any attention from their father. More, even, than Madara's 'training sessions'. They were really more like torture, but the older Uchiha insisted on calling them training. Yeah, right. He'd happy choose hell over training, if given the chance.

_'I blame __**her**__ entirely. If she hadn't sat at that well in the rain, then I wouldn't have had to drag her back home and make sure she was safe,' _the Uchiha thought miserably. He heard the doorknob turn and prayed that it wasn't Kisame bringing him something else to eat. His partner was an excellent killing machine, and he could swing Samehada around like it was nothing, but the shark-man **could not cook**. It was more terrifying than those few times his mother had gotten very angry.

Therefore, Itachi sighed in visible relief when it was Konan that came in.

"I got your medicine. Now it's up to you to hurry up and get better," the blue-haired woman tossed the antibiotics on his bed, and he sat up to retrieve them. The Sharingan user nodded, ripped open the package, and doled out the pills. He grimaced as he dry swallowed them and set the bottle on his nightstand.

"Will they interfere with my other medicine?" He had to ask. It was second nature to him at this point, and he hated depending on substances, but it was necessary for him to stay alive. His foolish younger brother would be grateful for everything he was doing for him. Even if Sasuke didn't understand it right now.

"Not that I'm aware of," Konan shrugged, shifting from foot to foot in agitation before she finally just let loose, "She's cute, by the way." Itachi froze, not willing to meet the older woman's knowing amber eyes.

"... What?"

"The girl. I didn't think you'd go for the innocent civilian type though. I always thought that if you ever decided to go viral, you'd pick a kunoichi. Her eyes are lovely, though. Such a pretty blue." The former heir sucked in a breath through his teeth in anger and tried to think of something to say while willing the blood from his cheeks. Anything but the thought of him and Kagome doing-! **He just refused to think about it**!

"I haven't the **slightest** clue what you're talking about. If you're done bothering me, **leave**," Itachi snapped, scowling at the paper user with spinning Sharingan eyes that were quickly morphing into their highest level. Konan smirked and shrugged again before turning and heading out the door.

"I would be careful, though. Madara might decide to interfere if you get too close, Itachi. She's precious, that girl. And fragile." She shut the door just as something glass shattered against the frame and shook her head. That boy needed to work on his temper. Badly.

_'Hopefully, this Kagome-girl will be able to fix that.'_

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A/N: So, I know in the manga Konan's eyes are grey, and in the anime, they're amber. But I went with the amber because it seemed fitting. You can see why. And I know a lot of people don't see Konan in this way, but after reading about her personality and watching several episodes of Naruto with her in it, I came to the conclusion that she's really just very quiet because of all the tragedy she went through.

After finally getting out of my funk, I sat down and typed this up in one brain-dead sitting. It's got to be weird to say this, but for some reason, I type better when I'm hungry or sleepy. How odd is that?

Anyways, even though this meeting was pretty subdued, don't think that it will be the same if Kagome meets the other Akatsuki members. Could you imagine her meeting Zetsu? I've got that planned out, by the way. It will involve trees.

Please review! I like those. They make me smile.


	11. Dishes

Summary

Being a stealthy ninja has its perks. It also scares people sometimes. Itachi learns this the hard way...

A/N: Oh M' God. Nearly 200 reviews... I'm gonna do that fainting thing again. It seems to happen when I hit close to that hundred mark. Mwahaha! Here we go! -faints- On another note, a really fast update, if I do say so myself. Now I'm about to be stuck again. Oh joy...

So here we have another moment in Kagome and Itachi's fledgling relationship. I had fun with this one. It was very cute to me. And mostly believable. It seems to me that these fairly small ones are easier to do than the huge long ones. Anyways, please enjoy!

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Muttering under his breath about ridiculous team mates and screaming blondes in general, Itachi quietly closed the window and padded in the direction that he could hear Kagome puttering around.

_'Sound's like she's in the kitchen.' _He turned the corner and had to keep from snarling in annoyance. Kagome was up on a ladder, precariously balancing herself on the top step, while trying to take down some heavy-looking dishes from a high shelf she wouldn't be able to reach normally.

_'She'll kill herself that way! Or at least break something,'_ the former Clan heir thought, cringing at the possibility of the young priestess breaking anything; especially bones. With that thought firmly in place, he moved forward to try and help her.

"You couldn't wait until I got here, could you?" he asked, his glare melting into horror when she slipped and flailed. His stomach bottomed out in fear and he shot forward to catch her on pure instinct.

Kagome shrieked in alarm and tumbled backwards off the ladder, throwing the dishes in the air in her attempt to find something to grab on to. Nothing touched her fingers and she began her descent to the floor, anticipating the painful meeting with her tile.

The priestess felt air rush through her hair as Itachi caught her awkwardly in his arms. Unfortunately, her plates didn't fare so well. They crashed to the floor, shattering into tiny glass slivers. She hardly paid attention to them; what with the former heir cradling her to him like a porcelain doll. As though she would break just as easily as her plates.

"Next time," the Uchiha huffed into her ear, "ask for help."

Kagome blushed and avoided the incredulous stare the dark-haired male graced her with.

"But-!"

"No! You could have avoided this entire situation if you weren't so stubborn," he interrupted her, carefully stepping around the glass and carrying her to the den while surreptitiously checking for any injuries on the clumsy girl.

"Should you really be carrying me? I mean, you were just sick recently, and I'm-!"

"Do you really think me that weak?" Itachi cut her off again, momentarily enjoying the fact that she squirmed in annoyance.

"No, I don't. I think you're very strong, Itachi," Kagome muttered, flushing in shyness at her rather bold statement, but still holding her gaze with the Uchiha. He nodded and secured his hold on her.

"As you should... You're not heavy, if that's what you're wondering." He could have punched himself for blurting that out. For some reason, females always seemed to worry about their weight; not to mention they got incredibly offended if you said anything about it. Especially kunoichi. And those girls knew how to hit hard. He thought Kagome was just fine the way she was.

_'Way to earn yourself a beating, Uchiha. Real smooth.'_ He was sincerely hoping she wouldn't slap him. There was no way to block it unless he dropped her, and that would defeat the entire purpose of catching her.

"Well-! Then next time, don't scare me like that! I know you're a ninja and all, but **some of us** don't have super sensitive hearing and can't detect... whatever it is you're giving off!" she spluttered. She then swatted his shoulder in retaliation to the incredulous deadpan stare he gave her.

"Chakra. It's called chakra," the Uchiha corrected her softly, setting her on the couch when he was satisfied that she wasn't hurt.

"Yeah... that," Kagome muttered, flushing when he mussed up her hair and turned to head back into the kitchen, "Where are you going?"

"To clean up the mess you made," he replied, flipping his cloak onto the back of a chair and pushing up his sleeves, "and to buy you new dishes. It is somewhat my fault that you dropped them."

Kagome gaped after him as he disappeared.

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A/N: Sorry it's so short, but I felt that was a good stopping point. Sometimes the little things help, right? Anyways, please review and let me know what you think!

Also! I put up a poll. My first one ever. So give me some feedback on that please?


	12. Teacher's Pet

Summary

Itachi learns that Kagome is very protective of things she considers hers. Apparently, he now falls into that category as well.

A/N: And here we go again! Another inspiring One-Shot for all my pals out there waiting for one! Please enjoy!

Also, I'm getting lots of ideas for new stories/one-shots, so I put up a poll to see what the general population would like me to take a crack at next. No matter what, I intend to dabble in all of my ideas... eventually. But for now, you can vote on what you want to see next if you haven't already! Please do! I value your opinions. Really, I do.

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He shouldn't have approached her while she was practicing. Then he wouldn't have gotten pinned to a tree. It was incredibly painful; not to mention embarrassing as hell.

_'And I thought I was a good ninja,' _the Uchiha thought sarcastically, wrenching the arrow from his shoulder visciously as the fall leaves cascaded down around him. Kagome shrieked and pounced on him, babbling apologies and attempting to examine the damage she had unintentionally inflicted on her friend.

"I am so sorry Itachi! You scared me and I just fired and-!"

"I thought I told you that I didn't want to be a pin cushion." He tried not to shudder in the late October breeze. It was starting to get cold again. He'd need to pull out a winter cloak soon.

"Well I didn't mean-!"

"How did you manage to even **hit** me? I was behind you!"

"... Lucky shot." Itachi sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He **was not** going to start yelling. It was beneath him and completely idiotic. Especially considering she had shot him **on accident**.

" You said you were-! Who taught you how to shoot, anyway?"

"Umm... I taught myself. Look! I even hit the tree once!" She seemed extremely proud of the feat and was even pointing in the direction of the tree she'd bulls-eyed. He tried not to snort out loud in amusement. It would only further agitate his now aching shoulder.

_'I really need a new job... And a better life insurance policy,' _the Sharingan user mused inwardly, rubbing his shoulder and wincing when it stretched the injury on his side.

"Does it hurt that badly?" the priestess whispered, tugging vainly on his plain black cloak. She really wanted to see it to try and fix the damage.

"Not really," Itachi sighed, stepping away when a curious light entered her blue eyes, "... What?"

"I... I could try to fix it... if you want," Kagome muttered uncertainly, brows drawing together in concern.

"That's not necessary," he replied quickly. The last thing he wanted was for her to see his other wounds. Madara was a slave driver of a trainer, and ruthless to boot. He really didn't want to explain why he was still sluggishly bleeding from a hole in his gut.

"C'mon! It's the least I can do!" the priestess countered, tugging again on his cloak. He was acting... much stranger than normal, "I mean, I **did** shoot you and all!"

"I can heal just fine on my own," the Uchiha retorted sharply, immediately feeling guilty at the hurt look that crossed Kagome's face.

"O-okay," she squeaked out, backing hastily away from the angry male. Itachi bit the inside of his cheek and reprimanded himself for snapping at the dark-haired girl. She was only trying to help.

And he hated that. He hated the fact that he was going to eventually give in to her liquid puppy eyes and pleadings. And so, to preserve what little dignity he had left, he motioned to her as he turned to leave.

"Where are we-!"

"If you're going to fix it, I'd rather be at your house," the Uchiha grumbled, shuffling in the direction of the village. Kagome blinked innocently for a moment before gasping and sprinting to catch up with the former Clan heir.

"You'll see! I'll fix you right up! You'll be good as new!" Kagome chirped, grinning happily and gingerly taking his arm. She was absolutely giddy that he hadn't fought with her like Inuyasha would have. It was... refreshing.

_'I __**highly**__ doubt that,' _Itachi thought but chose not to voice his opinion out loud. This time. He winced when her hand brushed another injury, _'I'm going to look like a mummy when she's done.'_

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Kagome gaped in shock at the numerous injuries she noticed when he took off his cloak and sat down. "What... what happened?"

Itachi merely shrugged and avoided her searching blue eyes. It was **not fair** that he felt guilty for being hurt in her presence. "... Training."

"... And you **walked to the village **after this training?" the dark-haired girl snapped, glaring at the shiny burn on his arm. She started to gather her supplies, mentally made a note that she would need to get more soon, and looked the Uchiha over again. This time, she winced.

_'Is that a __**hole**__ in his side?'_

"Exercise is... good," he retorted lamely. He **refused** to tell her that he came because he wanted to see her. **He** didn't even understand that reasoning. There was no way he was going to attempt to explain to it her. The former heir heard her sigh as she shuffled closer.

"... Okay, Itachi. Take your shirt off." He blinked in shock. Why...?

"I need to see how bad it is," she further explained when he merely stared. Itachi pulled himself together and resisted the urge to bang his head on the kitchen counter. Of course; to assess his injuries. He carefully slipped the shirt over his head, all the while wondering why it suddenly got warmer in the room.

Kagome muttered something indistinguishable under her breath as she gently traced a shallow cut along his shoulder. He followed her fingers in fascination as she continued to trace his other, less volatile injuries, before glancing up at her. She seemed... upset. And angry.

"If I **ever** find out who did this to you, I'll make them **sorry**," the priestess growled out, blue eyes flashing in righteous anger. The air crackled suddenly with energy; much like it would the instant before lightning struck.

Itachi knew in an instant that all those times she'd supposedly 'gotten mad' at him were **nothing **compared to the fury the small girl was giving off now. He was sure that should she ever find out and meet Madara, she priestess would likely try her damnest to fry the older Uchiha to a crisp.

"There's no need for... that," he really couldn't think of anything else to say to try and calm her down. A spark of pink sizzled between them when she glanced at him.

"I don't care. No one hurts my friends, Itachi. **No one**." To him, that made it sound like she considered him a friend. Was it true? It felt... strange. Most of the clan members that had befriended the young prodigy had done so merely for gain. He'd never had an actual friend; a real one. One that sounded like she would protect him. Ruthlessly.

"I would disapprove should you try to go after my... teacher." Mostly because he'd be upset and pissed off if Madara decided to kill the girl. Kagome blinked, her power dropping like a stone. The pressure in the air reverted back to normal, and the static feeling faded.

"Your **teacher** did this to you?"

"He's... very... hands-on with his 'training'." And that really was the best way to put it. Madara felt that experience was the best key to learning.

"So, it sounds like you're not exactly a teacher's pet, are you?" Kagome winced, applying ointment to the burn on his arm. Itachi grumbled in annoyance and grace her with a Look.

"No. Hopefully that will **never** occur. He's already sadistic enough as it is," he replied, watching as the priestess carefully bandaged him up.

"Well just... sit still. I'll get you cleaned up," she finally huffed, patching up the wound she'd inflicted easily before moving on to the next one.

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Deidara hummed under his breath as he sculpted his newest creation. The bird-like creature had a distinctively owl look to it; only with longer tail feathers. He was excited. It would be his greatest masterpiece.

And then he would blow it up.

The blonde missing-nin heard the tread of someone coming down the hall and glanced up... only to feel his jaw drop in shock. What. The. Hell.

"What the **hell **happened to you?" the bomb expert shouted. Somewhere in the hideout, Kisame snickered, happy that it wasn't him screaming about his partner this time.

Itachi glared at Deidara in annoyance and huffed quietly. He'd only come in here for his book, not to be interrogated by his team mates.

"... Training."

"With what? Trip wire?"

"Don't be absurd. I don't need trip wire to kill someone," the Uchiha retorted arrogantly, picking up his book from the coffee table and turning to leave, "I could easily just use my hands."

Deidara shuddered, swallowing thickly in fear.

That Itachi Uchiha was a crazy bastard.

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A/N: Ta-da! Now please remember to leave a review. And if you have an idea, I wouldn't mind hearing about it. I got my Christmas one already, so that will be popping up soon. Until next time, everyone!


	13. River In Egypt

Summary

Denial is not just a river in Egypt...

A/N: And we're up to chapter 13. Weird, because this one was a brain killer for me. I hope you all enjoy! By the way, that poll is still up. But only for another week or so. All for your entertainment pleasure. Lolz!

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The first reason why he hadn't gone to see Kagome yet was simple. He was working right now and didn't want to be bothered. Somehow, though, she'd managed to find him, climb up in the tree he was leaning on, and chatter brightly at him; all at the same time. And in the span of an hour. The former heir had **no idea** how she managed to do it.

She flipped over so that she was now hanging upside down next to the Uchiha. The tree branch swayed slightly to accommodate the new weight.

"... Boo," Kagome blurted out in a monotone, knowing she wouldn't scare Itachi in the least. He merely glanced at her in annoyance, raising a brow at her interesting choice of hairstyle today.

"... You'll fall if you stay like that for long." Were those... pigtails?

"I will not!" the priestess retorted, sticking her tongue out childishly. Itachi merely shrugged and went back to waiting, cool mask firmly in place. Inwardly, though, he was nervous. How had she known where he was?

_'For once, I hope Zetsu's late.'_

"Hey, Itachi?" He graced her with a look. "What's up with the cloak. I mean, come on. Red clouds?"

The Uchiha blinked and glanced down at himself... only to suppress the groan that threatened to escape. Reason number two why he hadn't gone to see her yet; explaining the cloak, thereby the Akatsuki in general. It was not something he was looking forward to doing. At all.

_'But then, it's not like I can just say "I quit" and walk away,' _Itachi thought, avoiding the priestess's curious blue eyes, _'If only it were that simple.'_

"It's... mandatory," he replied quietly, causing Kagome to lean a little closer to him.

"What? It's mandarin?"

"Mandatory!" he hissed, glancing at the girl... only to come nose to nose with her. The two teenagers blinked simultaneously. One right-side up, the other hanging from a tree.

_'Her eyes have tiny flecks of gray in them,' _the Uchiha thought faintly. For some reason, he couldn't seem to get a hold of himself enough to **back away from her**, _'Have they always been there? Why did I never notice them before?'_ Probably because he'd never been this... close to her. If he leaned in just slightly his mouth could-

_'NO! Absolutely not! Just stop that train wreck right now, Uchiha!'_

"Ita... chi?" Kagome whispered, unsure of what, exactly, her friend was thinking to get such a determined gleam in his dark eyes.

He shivered when his name passed from her lips. Things were quickly escalating out of control for the former heir. Did she **have** to take that tone of voice? It was...

_'Bad. Bad Itachi! Don't go there. It only leads to disaster.'_ He absolutely **hated **his hormones right now. They were giving him... ideas. Bad ideas.

A twig snapped overhead, breaking the momentary spell that had fallen over the duo. Kagome gasped, surprised by the overly loud noise, and accidently loosened her hold on the tree.

Thankfully (painfully) Itachi was there to catch her. They tumbled to the ground in a heap of limbs and curses.

"Woman! I am **not **a cushion!" the Sharingan user huffed, sitting up and rubbing his elbow. That **hurt**, damn it!

"Sorry! I'm so clumsy!" Kagome babbled, brushing leaves from their hair haphazardly, "I am so sorry! Did I break anything? Are you hurt?" Itachi stared at her in confusion.

"I'm fine. I suppose it's my pride that's been wounded," he finally sighed, brushing a leaf from the priestess's dark hair before standing. She blushed and mumbled another apology under her breath. "I'm not that fragile."

"I know. I just... feel really bad."

"Then do me a favor and return to the village. Today is not a day for visits," the Uchiha countered, holding out a hand and helping the girl up. She bit her lip and nodded, upset that he was brushing her off so easily.

"... Are you working? Is that why you're here?"

"... Yes. It's not... safe for you to be around me right now," he replied, turning her in the direction of the village and giving her a gentle push, "Now go."

Kagome finally nodded and began to walk away. Itachi felt the hold on his gut loosen the farther she got away. The danger, for now, had been avoided.

_'The last thing I want it to get her involved.' _He waited for another hour, and when Zetsu never showed, he headed back to the base in a foul mood.

He **hated** wasting time.

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"Put yourself out of your misery, Itachi." The Uchiha graced the plant-like Akatsuki member with a blank stare. He was still angry about the spy's no-show. Zetsu's darker half continued.

"**Kiss her or kill her**."

Itachi chose to ignore him and continued towards the kitchen, inwardly annoyed that it had been Zetsu in the tree earlier today. The spy was getting sneakier. It was... unnerving.

"Denial doesn't suit you, Itachi."

"**You're a ninja, fool**."

The Uchiha growled softly under his breath. He would not stand to be insulted. Still, he would be the better man and walk away with his head held high.

"I wonder-"

"**-how she tastes**?"

"Probably-"

"**-delicious**."

That got a response.

"Zetsu, there is a little thing called Weed Killer," Itachi growled, the Mangekyou Sharingan whirling dangerously and glaring at his team mate with barely restrained fury, "I could happily demonstrate it's effects on you should you continue that train of thought." He strode from the room, leaving Zetsu to ponder the implications. It didn't take a genius to figure out what the former heir was implying.

"... It seems that threats-"

"**-garner the best response**."

The Akatsuki spy chuckled. Itachi hadn't changed. He was still willing to fiercely protect what he considered his.

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A/N: Holy crap, I had a hard time with this one! Zetsu is so... strange. Kinda scary too.

So Zetsu knows about Kagome, but hasn't decided to meet her... yet.

On another note, It looks like The Red Sin is winning as far as the votes go. It figures. The one I have the hardest time trying to type up is going to win. Unless The Bodyguard suddenly pulls in front. Then I'm really screwed. I haven't even started that one. lol. I did get the first chapters for Hot For Teacher and You Have the Right to Remain... done, so at least I'm making progress. Life just works like that for me. Hahaha!

Anyways, please review and let me know what you think! It would be awesome if I could get at least 15 responses. Even just a thank you.


	14. The Scarf

Summary

With the cold starting to set in, it's time to start dressing warmer. Kagome gets a blast from the past. Itachi wonders how he got roped into shopping...

A/N: NEW NEW NEW! lolz! Time for an update! I had lots of fun doing this one! But it seems I have lots of fun doing this series all together! So anyway, let me know what you think! Oh! And I don't own KSM's "Read Between the Lines". Sadly, this probably won't be the last time I reference a song. Music is a lot of my inspiration to write.

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Kagome hummed cheerfully as she brushed her long hair. Today would be a great day. She could just feel it in the air. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and Itachi was downstairs making pancakes. The priestess giggled at the image of the stoic Uchiha whistling a happy tune while he flipped Mickey Mouse-shaped pancakes on a griddle.

_'There is no way that he would do that. I should expect evil death glares and the charred remains of my stove to greet me,'_ Kagome thought, securing her hair in a low ponytail. She glanced up at the mirror, frowned sharply, and pulled the tie from her dark hair. She looked too much like Kikyo when she wore her hair that way. Fixing her shaggy bangs and deciding to leave it loose, she finally smiled and bounced out of the room. By the time she was downstairs she was into full blown lyrics without a care in the world.

_"You say it's all right, but something's wrong_

_I can see it in your eyes_

_If I turn around, will you be gone_

_Are we running out of ti-" _

"What are you **doing**?" Kagome shrieked at being interrupted and stumbled in the kitchen. Itachi was staring at her in just the tiniest amount of shock and the priestess finally recovered, blushing in embarrassment.

"Sorry. I forgot you were here," she mumbled, scuffing the floor with her shoe in a child-like way. The Uchiha finally sighed and shook his head.

"It's... fine. I don't really want to know anyway." He motioned for her to sit down and she complied, avoiding his now amused gaze. Looking down, she poked at her plain pancakes in an unenthusiastic attempt to distract herself. A bowl of strawberries was shoved into her line of vision.

"Here. If you don't eat, I'll make you," the former heir muttered, a determined glint in his eyes, "I didn't stand over that stove for nothing, you know." Kagome bit her lip to keep the smile off her face. She wanted to appear serious for once.

"Yes sir!"

"Don't do that. You look constipated." She finally let loose and collapsed against the table in fits of laughter. Itachi looked vaguely put out.

"... What?"

"I... I imagined you... setting t-t-the stove on fire!" the priestess managed to get out around her chortling.

The Sharingan user did not look amused.

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"Okay! So since you came by so early, you can help me with some shopping!" Kagome chattered, handing him a basket as she pushed him out the door.

"I didn't come here to help you **shop**," he spat the word out like a bad taste in his mouth. He **hated** shopping. It was one of the single-most evil things a girl was capable of doing.

"Well, I'm making the executive decisions today, and I need some help carrying things," the priestess declared, then added innocently, "unless, of course, you want me to carry all the heavy bags and get hit on by several guys at the same time?"

... Damn his protective streak. It would be the death of him one day.

He stuck to her like glue, daring any male to even attempt to approach her. They would be in for a world of torture and pain. His companion grinned in triumph, patting him on the cheek lightly before proceeding into the fresh market.

"So, since it's getting colder, I need to be on the lookout for a scarf."

"You don't have one?" She shook her head and he pondered an interesting thought.

"Do you?"

"I don't like wearing them. They're... stuffy."

"You just don't want to get hanged in a tree or something, do you?" Kagome teased, laughing lightly when Itachi muttered under his breath as his face heated slightly.

"It's... painful." Not to mention embarrassing. He'd only been a genin when it happened, but the memory alone made him avoid clingy fabric wrapped around his neck. It had been part of the reason he'd worn a loose shirt under his ANBU armor.

He followed her around dutifullly as she made purchases and spoke with several people happily; he still wondered how the hell she'd managed to convice him into going shopping with her. And then he thought about the other males. It was enough to drive him insane with annoyance.

Exchanging coin for produce, their basket began to fill up slowly. By early afternoon, he was ready to go home. Itachi watched Kagome laugh at something a young man said and grit his teeth in his only show of dissatisfaction. The man slid a package into her hands, his fingers lingering on the priestess for far too long, in his opinion.

And then she waved goodbye and returned to his side, grinning happily up at him with flushed cheeks. The Uchiha's annoyance vanished instantly and felt his gut flutter with... something. Not to mention his heart suddenly beating faster. He sincerely hoped he wasn't getting sick again.

He nodded at something she said when she pointed in a direction, and they proceeded in that general direction. And then she stopped suddenly.

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Kagome froze and felt as though she'd literally been punched in the stomach. That scarf... It looked like...

_'It looks like Sesshomaru's sash,'_ the priestess thought faintly, tuning out the sounds around her and moving in a daze towards the trolley. She didn't even notice when Itachi stopped and pulled her from the side of the street to avoid being hit by a cart bearing various vegetables.

Her entire existence had pinpointed down to that wisp of bright material. Kagome's heart clenched painfully as the memories unexpectedly assulted her.

Inuyasha fighting Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru attempting to kill her with his poison.

Inuyasha saying he'd protect her.

Sesshomaru saving her from the panther demons.

Inuyasha becoming stronger.

Sesshomaru dislocating Inuyasha'a jaw in their father's tomb.

Inuyasha-!

She slammed the door on her thoughts, clenching her eyes shut to keep the tears at bay. Everything had hit her so suddenly; she felt like she was drowning. Feelings, emotions, anguish washed over her, and she literally had to keep herself still in order to keep from letting loose and falling apart.

"-gome? What is it? Say something! Kagome!"

The priestess finally noticed Itachi holding her, wrapped in his arms and muttering under his breath. Asking her if she was okay. She took a deep breath and looked up at him.

"I'm... I'm okay, Itachi. Just dizzy," she lied, hating that she had to. There was no way she'd be able to tell him. At least, not right now. Her mind faintly registered that he'd finally said her name; and some part of her was elated.

"... Let's go back. You should rest," the Uchiha declared, attempting to steer her in the direction of her home. She shook him off gently.

"Wait! I want to see those scarves first." With that, she strode purposefully across the street to the trolley, the Sharingan user hot on her heels.

The old woman smiled when she approached and immediately started chattering to the priestess when she touched the yellow scarf.

"You like it, yes?"

"It's... beautiful," Kagome agreed, letting the heavy silk slide through her fingers reverently. The pattern and coloring were the exact same. Even the indigo on the ends were alike. It was... terrifying, in a way.

"It's one of a kind, m'dear," the old woman stated proudly, grinning at the wistful look that flitted across the pretty young girl's face.

The priestess nodded and felt around for the price tag. She'd said she wanted a scarf, and this one would not only be pretty, but would also have sentimental value.

_'For the first time in a long time, I __**want**__ this Sesshomaru Scarf,'_ she thought decisively, pulling the price tag out and glancing at it giddily... only to deflate in shock. She couldn't afford that price. It was... horrendously expensive.

Itachi watched her carefully as the emotions skittered across her expressive face. Shock, fear, longing, excitement, then finally defeat. And when she smiled awkwardly at the old woman before hanging the scarf back up, he didn't understand. If she wanted it that badly, why didn't she just get it?

"Thank you. I'll... think about it." And with that, Kagome strode away hastily, pushing the scarf from her mind as forcefully as she tried to keep the tears at bay.

There was no way she'd be able to get her Sesshomaru Scarf. Not with her meager salary.

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Itachi watched her walk away in confusion. Something important had just happened, and he'd completely missed it! Glancing back at the yellow scarf one last time, he wove his way around the crowds in order to try and catch up with the bobbing dark head of the girl he'd been keeping an eye on.

_'She knows I hate crowds. Why is she so strange?'_ But truly, he was thinking. Didn't she want a scarf? She'd said so herself. Perhaps... He'd decide on that later. For now, he had a priestess to catch.

And interrogate.

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A/N: The end. For now. Look for an update soon! Also, the poll has officially closed. So if you didn't get your vote in, sorry. Maybe next time, right? It looks like The Red Sin is our winner! -throws confetti-

So I'll be putting that up probably after Christmas. For now, I want to devote my time and energy to doing this series before I start something new. I'm sure you all understand.

Please review.


	15. Blue Eyes

Summary

Itachi still has some reservations... as well as some nasty skeletons in the closet.

A/N: Okay, so this one is much more angst than I usually go for. But I felt it needed to be done. Itachi's going through a lot of emotions, therefore, he's also going through a change of heart. An extremely difficult change of heart. He's just resisting more than most people. Then again, we can't have an Uchiha without the angst, for some strange reason. So, here we go!

**Warning**- Dark. And definite violence. I'd say this one-shot would be a little closer to the M rating. If you don't like that, then don't read it. If I accidentally make you cry, then I apologize in advance. Angst galore. You've been warned. Should it cross the line, I'll change the rating.

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He **hated** being cornered. Actually, he hated a lot of things. But this took the cake. To be honest, he wasn't sure how they had tracked him down. The Uchiha had been careful, as usual, about leaving evidence; which there had been none. The only thing that could have tipped them off would have been...

_'The tea. Why did I stop there again? Especially if the owners decided to report me,'_ the Sharingan user thought, resisting the urge to smack himself in the face for the genin mistake. It would make him look insane.

Well, to be honest, the ANBU surrounding him already thought he was insane. Though there were only five, he wasn't taking any chances.

"Itachi Uchiha. Konoha missing-nin. Former ANBU Captain. S-class criminal. Part of the Akatsuki organization," the bird ANBU stated, crouching down to prepare to attack, "You are under arrest for the massacre of the Uchiha clan. If you come quietly, we'll let you live."

He scoffed inwardly. What, was that supposed to frighten him? So they knew a crap-load of information about him. Big deal. It was obvious now they were Konoha ANBU.

_'Sentimental fools.'_

"I can't seem to stress enough that I won't be going **anywhere** with any of you," the Uchiha answered, carefully wiping his voice blank of any emotions. It was the mark of a good ninja.

A twig snapped behind him. Itachi and the ANBU whirled into motion. Judging by the weak chakra signal, it was a civilian that had stumbled upon their battleground.

Bird ANBU fired several shuriken in the direction of the civilian. Itachi flashed in front of the attack, blocking every metal star. A gasp was heard behind him, and the sound of something dropped, followed closely by the civilian falling over.

"Run!" the Uchiha hissed, unsure if the civlian took the advice or not. It was obvious the ANBU were surprised.

"Never took you as the type to protect something, Uchiha!" one of the other ANBU, a bear, cried, lunging in and performing a series of devestating taijutsu combos. He landed every hit, and Bear smirked beneath his mask smugly. Itachi crumbled to the ground, breathing heavily.

"That was easy!" Bear crowed, stepping forward to deal the final blow. Itachi looked up at him, Sharingan eyes blazing in anger, before he smirked suddenly and began to glow.

"Bear! Don't-!"

"Shadow Clone Explosion." The resounding boom shook the trees and sent nearby birds into the air in a panic. Itachi reappeared next to where his clone had been. Bear dropped to the ground, dead.

"Bear," Bird muttered, anger clouding his judgement, "I'll avenge you." He rose to his feet and signalled to attack. The other three ANBU, a cat, a snake, and a hawk, all jumped in to try and take down the Uchiha.

The Sharingan user flipped through a series of hand seals to fast for them to see and he inhaled deeply. Smoke poured from his mouth and the four ANBU skidded to a halt, fear on the faces underneath their masks. This was-!

"Fall back!" Hawk shouted, jumping away as Itachi released an enormous Fireball Jutsu. Snake wasn't quick enough, though, and she was caught in the blaze. In seconds, she was incinerated.

"Damn! What now!" Cat hissed, gripping his kunai in a shaking grip. Itachi Uchiha had just killed two of their comrades without breaking a sweat. It was incredible. It was monsterous. He blinked, and Itachi was gone.

"You let your guard down," his enemy whispered, flipping over Cat's back when he swung to impale the Uchiha. His eyes widened at the sound of his sword being unsheathed by the Uchiha. Cat panicked and scrambled away. Breathing heavily, he kept a careful eye on Itachi.

"Formation B! Go!" Bird snarled, sprinting head-on at the Uchiha. He performed a series of deadly martial arts moves, all of which the former clan heir either dodged or blocked easily. Hawk fired severeal volleys of shuriken and kunai at Itachi. Their enemy quickly jumped, blocking some of the metal with the sword and deflecting one back at Hawk. It hit him square in the stomach, and Hawk snarled in pain. Cat snuck up behind the occupied Uchiha and came in for the kill.

Itachi, sensing someone approach him from behind, flipped his borrowed sword and stabbed it behind him. Cat choked, unable to speak with his katana in his throat.

"You forget, ANBU-san, that I know these attacks well," the Sharingan user announced quietly, flipping his hand and yanking the blade upward. Cat's shriek of pain was cut off as the blade sliced through his head. He fell to the ground in a pool of blood, dead.

"Cat!" Hawk cried, holding his injury and backing away from the insane Uchiha. How could he be so stoic and calm when he'd just committed horrendous acts of bloodshed? Itachi disappeared suddenly and Bird looked around anxiously, waiting for the next attack.

"Running?" was whispered from behind Hawk and his eyes widened in fear.

"HAWK!" The ANBU wasn't quick enough. In one clean sweep Hawk's head left his shoulders and his body dropped to the ground, dead.

Bird shook his head and scrambled back several steps. It was impossible. Itachi Uchiha had just taken out an ANBU squad with little to no trouble.

_'There's not even a scratch on the bastard,'_ he thought, watching carefully as the Uchiha genius looked over Cat's katana idly before discarding it carelessly, _'He's a monster.'_

Itachi set his sights on the final ANBU and approached slowly. He hated this technique; the Cat and Mouse game. It would be easier to just kill the terrified ANBU. Bird stumbled back and hit the tree behind him. He glanced back for half a heartbeat, but that was all the time Itachi needed. He pinned Bird to the tree easily, hand on the ANBU's throat.

"I won't kill you if you give me the information I'm looking for," the Uchiha stated conversationally, peeling the mask away from Bird's face. The ANBU sucked in a breath and snapped his eyes closed as the mask came away. Itachi glanced at it, then tossed it carelessly aside. The porcelain mask shattered easily, and Bird whimpered just slightly.

"Tell me how Konoha is doing."

"Never."

"Your resistance is futile, ANBU-san. Wouldn't you rather be allowed to return home to your family and friends?" Itachi asked quietly, squeezing Bird's throat just slightly. He coughed and his eyes snapped open, bulging from the pressure of being choked.

"I won't tell anything to a monster like you! You killed your own clan and deserted the village that was your home. You're as good as damned to the rest of Konoha!" Bird spat, glaring defiantly at the Uchiha genius with blue eyes. Itachi froze, unable to even think properly. Bird's blue eyes... they looked like...

_'Kagome.'_ His Sharingan morphed into the Mangekyou and he saw the reflection of it in Bird's eyes. He'd never actually watched the transformation for himself. It was... fascinating.

"I believe... I'm going to let you live, ANBU-san," he decided, the pinwheels in his eyes beginning to turn slowly, "But not without giving my foolish little brother a message." Bird choked, true fear dominating his features. Itachi leaned in and smirked. "Tell Sasuke I said 'Hello'."

Bird screamed as he was pulled into the Tsukiyomi.

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Itachi glanced around at the the four dead and one unconscious ANBU scattered around him in annoyance before turning to the civilian cowering near a tree. As he approached her, she lifted her head up, brown eyes shining with tears.

"It's all right. You're sa-!" He never got to finish because the girl screamed in terror and backed away from him.

"You... You killed them! Murderer!" she shrieked, scrambling away from the former heir in a shaking heap.

"They tried to kill-!" She screamed again when he took another step and he winced inwardly at the noise. Itachi finally just stopped where he was and attempted to placate the traumatized female. When nothing he was saying seemed to register, he sighed and backed away from the civilian girl, Sharingan swirling in preparation. He'd knock the girl out if he had to.

_'This is how it always is,'_ the Uchiha thought bitterly, watching in anger as the girl managed to get her act together enough to flee back to her home, _'They always run. Even if I try to help them. Why?'_ He glanced down and took an absent note of his bloodstained hands.

Kagome flashed through his mind, all smiles and happy thoughts. He clenched his hands hard enough that his nails bit into skin.

_'Why does she stay?'_

Without looking back, he disappeared in a flurry of smoke. He had to know.

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Kagome sighed and ran her fingers reverently on the well's rim. She'd picked today to come out here because it was sunny and reminded her of cool November days spent in the Feudal Era. Gently, she set a bouquet of flowers at the foot of the well and bowed her head to pray.

_'I hope... that everyone is safe. And happy. Really happy.'_ She stood there for a few moments longer before clapping her hands twice and exhaling noisily. A sound rustled the bushed behind her, but when no forboding feeling followed the noise, she figured it was just an animal.

Therefore she was completely taken aback when arms circled around her, one hand covering her mouth to prevent her from screaming, and the other pulling her against someone's body roughly.

"It would be so easy to kill you now," the person, which she identified as male, whispered, breath hotly tickling her ear. The priestess shivered and his grip tightened minutely. "You wouldn't even know until after I snapped your neck."

"You're so fragile. I've killed others for lesser reasons than yours. Merely living in their sins; their hatred overwhelming every innocent child and mother." Kagome bit her lip and swallowed to keep the whimper from escaping her throat. His fingers moved, loosening the hold on her mouth, before he leaned right next to her ear. The wind suddenly blew harshly, whipping their hair around them erratically. She noticed that his hair was black when it blew into her face.

_'Is that... Itachi?'_

"Don't move. Don't scream. Don't even speak. Otherwise, you're dead." Kagome nodded minutely and he released her as though she were on fire. He paced behind her, not letting her see him, but the priestess already knew. Now that she'd calmed down enough to pinpoint some things, she could identify Itachi's aura. It was singing with grief and agitation. Something bad had happened.

"Ita-!"

"I said no talking!" the Uchiha genius hissed, whipping her around and snarling at her. She flinched back, not used to the anger dominating her friend's emotions. He was usually so calm and controlled. What had happened to make him lose his cool?

"I don't understand you. I don't know what you're doing to me," Itachi muttered, closing his dark eyes before taking a deep breath, "But I do know you should be afraid. You should hate me. You **have** to. It's for the best." Kagome gasped when he opened his eyes. They were a deep blood red. The only other person she'd seen with eyes that color was...

_'Naraku.'_

"One day, you too will run from me," he whispered, cupping her face with a hand gently. Kagome gulped, unsure of what to do. She had no idea what to do in this type of situation. The former heir's emotions were volatile at best, and one wrong move might set him off.

_'I can't leave him like this,'_ the priestess thought, steeling her resolve even though she wanted to run, _'He's hurting, and I need to help him.'_

"I... I'm not..." she stopped, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. And then she opened them and looked him straight in the eye, "I'm not afraid of you, Itachi. Because I trust you."

His breaths shortened, fury lighting a fire inside him, and the hand against her face tightened. She winced, but stood completely still, waiting for his judgement.

"You... are foolish."

"Maybe I am. But that doesn't stop me from knowing that you're a good person that had to do bad things. That doesn't make you a bad person," the priestess replied, lifting a hand to touch his cheek. He flinched, afraid of her touch. "Do you know why?"

"You know **nothing** about me!" Itachi shouted, glaring harshly at the unmoving girl. The tree nearest them began smoking heavily. If he didn't get his emotions under control, he would set the entire forest ablaze.

"It's because you feel guilty. It shows that you're not a machine. You're not a mindless killer. You're human, Itachi. Just like me." He froze, eyes too wide, mind too full of his recent mission. The ANBU with her eyes. The screaming girl accusing him.

"... How do you know?" Kagome let out a tiny smile, settling her small hand on his cheek. He didn't flinch this time.

"You wouldn't be this upset if you didn't care." That was true. It hurt because he **did** care. They all thought he was incapable of emotions other than anger or hatred. Well, he could be hurt too. He'd only run because he was afraid.

Afraid of the monster staring back where his reflection should have been.

"What happened?" Kagome asked, playing with his long bangs patiently.

"Nothing!" he hissed, stepping away from her. She was too innocent. If she stayed, the blood on his hands would taint her. He didn't want that. He didn't want to change someone so kind, so nice, so...

Pure.

"Something must have for you to be like this," the priestess countered, reaching out to take his hand, "So let me in and let me help you for once. You're so stubborn."

Itachi caught her small wrist in a vice-like grip, knowing subconsciously that his fingers would leave bruises.

"You can't handle that. You're too... good. There's **nothing** wrong!" he realized belatedly that he was yelling again and tamped down his anger to the best of his ability. Fire licked at the tree closest to them in agitation. Waiting to consume it's prey. In a sense, he was waiting too. For her judgement.

"... Why don't you try me and see what happens," Kagome finally whispered, glaring defiantly into his whirling red eyes.

"... Five ninja attacked me today. They were all fairly high ranking. I killed four, and tortured one. I couldn't kill him. He had..." he stopped, not wanting to voice that thought out loud, then took another breath, "The civilian I saved wouldn't let me help her because she felt that **I** was in the wrong." The Uchiha never broke eye contact with her, the dark tomoe in his eyes spinning lazily, waiting for her reaction. Her rejection. Her blue eyes widened in shock and he sucked in a breath.

This was it.

"... Are you hurt? What did they want from you?"

"They wanted me dead. Do you know why?" She shook her head and he pulled her close, leaning down to breath into her ear, "Because I **am** a murderer. I **kill** for a living. An assassin. I'm not a nice person, **Ka-go-me**." The pirestess shivered at the sound of her name.

"I don't fight on the side of justice or love. I don't protect people. I'm the bad guy. I'm the one you cry yourself to sleep at night for because if you show weakness, I'll kill you." He leaned back, his face inches from hers. "And now you know the truth. What will you do?"

She knew what scare tactics were and how to use them, but for the first time, Kagome was really truly afraid of Itachi. This side of him was sinister, dark, angry. And had she not met him in that drugstore so long ago, she would be inclined to think that this was his true nature. But, because of that one incident with the Nail Polish...

"If... " she started, swallowed, then continued in a stronger voice, "If you were really that bad, I wouldn't be here right now. You would have killed me already. If you were really as evil as you say you are, you wouldn't keep coming back to see me. You wouldn't have taken care of me when I got sick. You wouldn't have pulled me out of the way of that vegetable cart. You wouldn't have come looking for me when I was at the well last time. You would slit my throat right now for being so impudent; for being so trusting."

How could she believe all those things? How could she stand there so calmly, when all he wanted to do was scream and rage and scare her away? How could she just stay?

How was she **right**?

Itachi swallowed, realizing the fact that she wasn't going anywhere. For some reason, she **wanted** to stay. He couldn't even begin to fathom the type of devotion she was exhibiting. He didn't understand it. At all.

And he hated himself for the full blown curiosity she'd ignited within him. The need to know more about her. To have every single secret she kept locked away in his grasp. To know what she liked, what she hated. What made her afraid.

How could she...

Itachi chuckled, dropping her wrist like it was on fire and shaking his head. Suddenly, it all seemed pointless. How had it come this far? How had he not known? And he called himself a genius.

"Are you... okay?"

"... Yes." He couldn't believe he'd just had a mental breakdown. That he'd nearly killed one of the few people that called him friend. He was... ashamed of his actions.

"Are you sure?" She looked so afraid; as though he would shatter again with just the wrong words. In a way, that was how he felt. All the fight was gone; he felt completely drained.

"... I'll... manage," he muttered finally, avoiding her blue eyes guiltily.

"But you know, if you need me," she pulled him down and wrapped her arms around his neck to hug him, "I'm right here."

He stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do. Then he shakily released the breath he'd been holding and awkwardly held her back, resting his face in the crook of her shoulder. She rubbed his back gently, muttering soothing words meant to calm him down.

"It's okay. " But it wasn't. It was not okay.

Because now, he was completely attached.

Now, he was going to truly hurt her and himself in the end. Because, no matter what Kagome came to mean to him, he would always choose his brother. That was the inevitable end result.

After all, that was the plan.

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A/N: And ta-da! Nothing like a good dose of angst to mix things up a bit. I feel a bit evil. Sorry guys, it's not all going to be fun and games. I blame the mindset I had to get into for Vampire Knight. They're always so angst in there.

Next update will be on Christmas Eve Day! Please be on the lookout!

A thank you is always appreciated by any author. Including me. Please be kind and leave a review. That way, I know you're still out there! Until next time!


	16. Acceptance

Summary

With their friendship at a major turning point, will Itachi make the right decision in regards to Kagome?

A/N: CHRISTMAS SPECIAL! I'm so excited to be posting this! I've had this in the making since I first began **Something Blue**! I really hope you enjoy this chapter. I sure had a blast writing it!

Also, I want to thank everyone that has reviewed on this story! You guys are absolutely frickin' amazing and I'm so glad you're all on board with me on this project! I know I've mailed several of you with questins and I appreciate your responses. Everyone has been so positive and helpful. It really lifts my spirits to know you all enjoy what I come up with. I'm almost at 300 reviews and I cannot believe how popular this story has become in such a short amount of time. This is for all of you! Thank you!

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Itachi cursed his luck and tried to shuffle the snow from his shoes. _'I __**hate**__ snow. It's completely unnecessary. Not to mention cold.'_ He supposed he had himself to blame, though. After all, he had chosen to walk the female next to him home from the orphanage this evening. Said female seemed to be content, though, so he shoved his discomfort aside for the time being.

"Thanks for walking me home, Itachi. It was really sweet of you," Kagome stated, twirling a piece of her dark hair around one of her fingers. The Uchiha muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like "not sweet", and restrained the urge to roll his eyes.

"I was in the area and decided to stop by," Itachi responded, puffing a breath out and watching it rise into the chilly air absently. After all, it was the least he could do after acting like such an ass to her before. He still really regretted the harsh words he'd said to her. Then again, he couldn't really understand why she still wanted to associate with him after threatening to kill her.

"Look! It's snowing again!" the priestess exclaimed, watching the sky rain down the frozen droplets again in awe. Itachi huffed minutely, annoyed at the thought of even more of the cold wet stuff falling to the ground.

"Indeed." His tone of voice was nearly as frosty as the frozen water falling from the sky. She merely smiled and began to twirl around in delight.

"Don't you just love the snow?" the small woman asked, laughing happily when a snowflake brushed the tip of her reddening nose.

"It's... nice... I suppose," the Sharingan user lied, a foreign taste in his mouth at actually voicing the 'n-word' out loud, then added, "If you like the cold." Kagome hummed in agreement next to him and turned with a cute smile on her face.

_'There I go with that 'cute' thing again. I thought I banished that word from my vocabulary. There are many other words... __**none**__ of with are acceptable to me.'_

They continued on in a comfortable silence, Itachi grouching inwardly about his freezing toes and Kagome giggling every time she caught a snowflake on her tongue. He tried not to stare. Really, he tried. But he couldn't help it. He was a guy, after all. There was only so much he could take. And she didn't seem to mind, anyway.

"Itachi? Do you guys have any sort of... holiday that you celebrate around this time?" Kagome asked out of the blue before she stopped walking.

"What? No... Not that I'm aware of," the Uchiha replied, giving the priestess an odd look and waiting for her to continue heading home. What exactly was she planning now?

"Well, where I'm from, one of the cultures celebrates a holiday where you get together with the people you care about and spend time together. We make food, play games, give gifts to eachother," Kagome hedged, staring resolutely at their feet. She could feel her cheeks heating up in anxiousness. After all, this was a moment that was important to her.

"Is that so?" Itachi muttered, watching the girl in front of him fidget minutely in slight amusement. He'd figured she was from a different land, what with her sometimes strange mannerisms. To hear her admit it, however, made him swell with pride. He was, after all, a genius. It was nice to be proven right every once in a while.

"Yeah. It's called Christmas," Kagome replied, glancing up at him shyly and clenching her hands around her gift behind her back, "I... know you can't really stick around, but if you want, I'm making dinner and... well... you can come over." She shut her eyes, waiting for the rejection from the quiet man in front of her.

Itachi was torn. He knew that it would be incredibly dangerous for him to accept the invitation. He still didn't understand why she was being so nice to him. She should have cut ties. He needed to say no; and yet, he wanted to follow the priestess home, sit and talk amiably over good food, laugh about silly inconsequential things.

"I'm... sorry. I can't," the Uchiha answered, calling himself every foul name he could think of at the wilted look on the girl's face. She, of course, perked up instantly, and smiled brightly at him in acceptance.

"It's okay! I know you have a lot of work," Kagome chirped, grinning and hopping from foot to foot, "so before you go, I want to give you something!" She noted, with a tiny amount of satisfaction, that the former heir looked momentarily stunned.

"You didn't-!" he began to protest but was cut off again.

"You're my friend, Itachi! I wanted to give you a gift!" Kagome demanded, bringing the small package out from behind her back and biting her lip at the small crinkles in the golden wrapping, "Sorry. I was nervous."

Itachi reverently took the gift gently from her, awed by the unending amount of kindness the priestess continued to bestow upon him.

"... Thank you."

"Merry Christmas," she whispered, smiling gently and giving him a quick hug before turning and starting home, "If you change your mind, you know where I live." She waved and disappeared around the corner. It took the Sharingan wielder a moment to realize that he was waving back and dropped his hand awkwardly.

_'I didn't get her anything,'_ Itachi thought, furrowing his brow at the gift still in his hand and turning to head back in the direction of the hideout. Slowly, he unwrapped the package and stared for a moment at the small box.

_'Don't tell me...'_ He thought back to the time where he had visited and Kagome's kitchen had been scattered with dark tiny glass beads. She had been making something then, and-

_'She wouldn't let me see it.'_ Itachi lifted the lid and sucked in a breath. Laying innocently on a tiny silk pillow was a necklace. One whose beads he recognized immediately.

"She... made this," the Uchiha breathed, stopping in the middle of the street and ellicting grumbles from the people around him, "for... me." Reverently, he lifted the chain from the box and examined it critically. It was surprisingly well crafted, and carefully done.

_'... I'm a horrible person,'_ Itachi thought bitterly, dropping the chain decisively back into the box. Snapping it shut angrily, he paced away from the crowd and entered a nearby ally. The question had been burning in his head for months now, and it was finally getting the better of him.

"Why?" Why had she approached him in that drugstore all those months ago? Why had she helped him so innocently? Why did she have to be so damn forgiving and nice?

_"You're my friend, Itachi!"_

_'Is it really that easy? Would she still say such things even after she finds out about... everything?'_ the raven-haired man thought, jumping through countless scenarios of how she would react if he were to 'spilled the beans' about his past, the rest of his present... his doomed future. He shut his eyes, grinding his palms against them.

He **was not considering this**! Dropping his hands and opening his eyes, he waited for the black spots to disappear and watched the bustle of the last minute afternoon shoppers. He felt... so hopeless.

A trolley bearing scarves wheeled slowly by and he felt his breath freeze in his throat when he saw the wisp of bright yellow material.

It was the scarf.

As if moving by instinct, he walked out of the ally, approaching the cart and the old woman selling the scarves. Itachi blinked and came back to himself when he realized he was fingering the heavy yellow silk. The old woman merely grinned in a know-it-all fashion.

"It's a lovely piece. The only one of it's kind," she stated, her voice scratchy from age.

"... It is," the Uchiha agreed, smoothing his hand down to find the price tag. Remembering the look on Kagome's face when she had done the same thing a few weeks ago, he barely twitched at the expensive price and dove into his cloak to retrieve the correct amount.

"For a friend?" the woman asked, that same knowing grin still on her wrinkled face.

"... Yes. A good friend," he replied, making his decision as he gently pulled the length of bright material from its' spot.

"A lovely choice, sir." She accepted the coins and began counting the change.

"Keep the rest." With that, Itachi Uchiha swirled off into the night, tucking the yellow and indigo scarf into his cloak.

He had a mission; and he **never** failed his missions.

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Kagome hummed quietly to herself as she mixed the batter for her cookies. She was still a little down, but the priestess wouldn't let that bother her right now. It surprised her when there was a knock on her door.

"Who could that be?" Kagome muttered to herself, setting down her things and making her way to the door. _'The only person I would be expecting would be...'_ Her blue eyes widened in shock and she ran to the door, giddy and nervous at the same time.

"Please, please, please..." The priestess undid the lock and swung the door open, air whooshing out of her lungs at the sight of the man on her door step.

"Itac-!"

"Had I known I was supposed to get you something, I would have done so," he interrupted her, stepping closer to her porch light. Kagome blinked at him owlishly as he settled a bright piece of fabric loosely around her neck.

"... What?" The dark-haired girl quickly examined the yellow fabric and felt her heart stop briefly.

It was the Sesshomaru Scarf.

"Merry Christmas, Kagome." She gazed up at him with wide eyes for a moment, taking note of the necklace he now wore. It suited him. When the shock wore off, she bowled him over with an enormous hug, muttering thank you's under her breath the whole time.

"Is... the dinner invitation... still applicable?" the Uchiha heir asked uncertainly.

"Of course! Come in! I'm so happy you're here!" Kagome chattered brightly, dragging the man inside forcefully, "I was just about to start making Christmas cookies! Do you want to help?" He smiled awkwardly and let her manhandle him into the hallway.

"I... don't know the first thing about making... cookies," he admitted, blinking at the horrified expression on her face.

"You..." she trailed off, tilting her head to the side as she thought before grinning excitedly, "Well, there's always room to learn! Come on!" She proceeded to drag him to the kitchen, and he was once again surprised at how unusually strong Kagome was.

"... I suppose I have no choice, do I?"

"You do, but I'm the one making the executive decisions! So, no, you don't." The priestess continued to chatter on brightly, the yellow scarf still hanging loosely from her neck; and though he was worried about what the consequences would be for his decision, for once, he couldn't care less.

_'This... was the correct choice.'_

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A/N: Awww! Anyone else get the warm fuzzies? Itachi's finally progressing in the right direction. Maybe now, he'll stop denying his... whatever they are, eh? ... Then again, maybe not. It's gonna take some work. Uchiha are stubborn, after all.

Also, I did another Christmas One-Shot in the same realm as this, but posted it separately. I wanted to do something a little more romance-ish. However, it won't be mentioned in later chapters. It's separate for a reason. It's called Mistletoe and I hope you enjoy that one too!

So be on the lookout for **The Red Sin**! It shall be coming up shortly, and I hope you all will take a moment to read that and let me know how I did with it. It was a beast to write, but I did it. For you guys!

Anyways, a Very Merry Christmas and a Super Happy New Year! I'll be back after the holidays with more all new stuff!


	17. Resolutions

Summary

A new year means a new start at some interesting resolutions...

A/N: This one-shot was inspired by the upcoming new year. Another look into Kagome and Itachi's developing relationship. So please enjoy!

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"Hey, Itachi?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you like soba?"

That had been the first question she'd asked when he'd stopped by to see her the day before. It had been a strange question, and one that was rarely asked of him. Not many people really cared to ask if he liked something or not. Something about intimidation tactics.

Itachi had merely shrugged and replied in the affirmative. He was still vaguely pondering the possible reasons when he absently knocked on the door one evening a few days later. It swung open and a smiling Kagome ushered him inside.

"How are you tonight, Itachi?"

"As well as can be expected of a ninja," he replied, shedding his cloak and hanging it up in the coat closet. Turning he began to follow her into the rest of the house. It looked... extremely clean.

"Have you been cleaning?" Kagome hummed in agreement as she straightened a little side table filled with sweet smelling potpouri, "Is there a particular reason?"

"I'm getting ready for the new year! You know, leaving the past year behind and looking forward to the next year?"

Ah. The new year. He'd heard of the tradition, but hadn't really ever partaken in it. It was a little difficult to do so when surrounded by a bunch of S-class criminals.

"That explains the soba question," he countered, leaning against the door frame to the kitchen, which looked as disasterous as usual whenever the priestess decided to cook. Kagome giggled happily and stirred the pot on the stove.

"Yep. Hot soba for the new year."

"I see."

"Are you staying?"

"For a while, I suppose," he replied, taking note when she sighed quietly, "Why?"

"I was hoping... you'd watch the fireworks with me tonight," Kagome answered hesitantly, glancing up at him in hope.

He **really** hated his hormones. And the fact that he was just **too damn nice** to her.

"Well... How will you see them?"

Kagome giggled then handed him a bowl of hot soba, "From the roof, of course. The village puts out all the lights and we see the fireworks!"

"... Oh," was his less-than-eloquent reply.

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Much later in the night, he had to sigh at Kagome's somewhat pathetic attempt to scramble up onto the roof. In the end, he'd scooped her up and vaulted onto the top, mindful of the shingles and the several blankets the priestess had been carrying. She'd merely complained about her lack of "Super Special Ninja Skills".

The Uchiha demanded that she **never** call his training such **ever** again. To do so would mean death. The priestess just snorted and flounced over to her blanket to warm up.

Shortly before the fireworks display would begin, the village began to put out the lights; just as she'd said. Eventually, it was dark enough that you could actually see the stars in the night sky.

Kagome shivered, which he noticed immediately, and curled into her blanket to conserve body heat. Leaning over, he gently tugged a strand of her long dark hair to get her attention. The priestess gasped and whipped around to face him. Wordlessly, he opened his own blanket and motioned for her to scoot closer. She blinked, then blushed.

"Are you sure?" Kagome asked, fidgeting outwardly while her mind screamed at her to just **do it already**! Itachi rolled his eyes and smirked.

"Now." The priestess "eeped" and scuttled over to him to bury herself in the cocoon of warmth. She sighed and turned so that her back rested against his front in contentment before laying her head on his shoulder. The Sharingan user quickly wrapped them up and rested his chin on the top of her head.

"You can't escape now," he muttered smugly, smirking again in amusement when she huffed.

"It's not like I want to. You're so warm!" she retaliated, elbowing him gently in the stomach. He bore the abuse with a long-suffering patience. He chose not to respond to that, content with the peaceful silence that surrounded them.

"The stars are so pretty here," Kagome mumbled, her words muffled from burying her nose in their blankets.

"I never really take the time to look at them," Itachi replied, looking up at the sky and watching his breath rise in the air, "They're always just there."

"They're... different." He glanced back down at the girl in confusion. How were they different? Stars always stayed the same!

"Different... how?" It was a niggling curiosity that had been eating him away for a while now. Kagome's manerisms were just slightly different from other people. It was part of the reason that she stood out to him. The Uchiha had always just assumed that she was from another country, but she spoke the dilalect flawlessly. There was no accent, no hesitation in her words, and no slip-ups in sentence structures or wording. His initial idea was slowly being disproven; now he really wanted to know.

"They... just are," the priestess replied lamely, still afraid to tell him anything about her past. She had only known the former heir since the end of July. Aside from the initial likes and dislikes, Kagome knew next to nothing about his past or what he was truly capable of. He'd killed before; that much was obvious, and he was in a strange organization that he chose to keep a secret. A distant boom brought them out of their musings.

"Look! It's starting!"

"I know," he deadpanned. His curiosity was washed away briefly when the first firework exploded in the sky, showering the area with bright green color.

Kagome gasped and watched the fireworks in awe. Itachi pointed out several shapes that she 'oohed' and 'aahed' over.

One was even in the shape of a multi-colored butterfly when it exploded. The priestess clapped at that. He merely watched her grin breathlessly up at him before the next boom echoed in the distance, drawing her attention again.

Her smiles and laughs were infectuous, and soon he was grinning too. Wrapped up in their blankets with eachother to stay warm, the former Uchiha and the priestess happily celebrated the start of the new year together. Even with their doubts of eachother, they were still content to stay together.

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"This year, My goal is to study hard so that I can pass the exams to work at the hospital!" Kagome sighed, snuggling into Itachi's embrace shortly after the fireworks display. She had no idea how he did it, but he managed to stay completely comfy and warm throughout the entire fireworks display.

_'He's like my own personal fireball,'_ she thought, giggling inwardly at the mental image of a chibi Itachi holding a flame out with his palm while she roasted a marshmallow over it.

"I see. An admirable resolution," he replied, nodding when she smiled up at him.

"What about you? Do you have a resolution?"

"... Don't die?" She felt her eye twitch.

"Itachi!"

"I haven't... thought of one."

_'Though it would probably be along the lines of checking on Sasuke to see if he's become stronger,'_ the former heir thought, gazing up at the stars in the sky with a melancholy air. Kagome nudged him and he was brought out of his musings.

"Don't think too hard, Itachi. Your brain might explode." He huffed and ran a hand up her side where he knew she was ticklish. The priestess squirmed and giggled.

"I appreciate your concern, but I assure you it would take far more than thinking to accomplish such a feat." Revenge was a bit petty, but it did make him feel a bit better when she finally called mercy after a few minutes of holding her down and making her laugh uncontrollably.

"I suppose, if I had to make a resolution, it would be to be here more often," he finally decided, avoiding her wide blue eyes and forcing the heat from his cheeks. He was lucky it was dark because he failed miserably.

"You... want to spend more time... with me?" Kagome asked breathlessly. She was thrilled, of course. This would mean that Itachi would be around a lot more often. It would also mean that she'd have to start shopping a little better. The Uchiha had berated her on her food choices a couple of times; insisting that they were not "healthy enough". But hey, the ramen was only there as a last resort.

Itachi hesitated only slighty before nodding quietly. That was what he wanted.

Right?

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Kagome sleepily agreed to returning to the warm house and helped gather their blankets up again. She'd planned to just toss them down to the ground, but Itachi swept her up in him arms and vaulted off the shingles before she had the chance to complain.

Suddenly, she was a lot more awake. Their brief stint in the air brought back a lot of memories of rides on Inuyasha's back, and she watched the world plummet in their descent with fascination.

"That was... so cool," the priestess whispered in the Uchiha's ear, and he raised a brow in question. She elaborated, "When we were up in the air, for just a second, I felt like I was on top of the world. It was... amazing."

That was... an interesting way of putting it. Itachi considered her words carefully before replying, "What about the descent?"

"It felt like my stomach was in my throat. It was... kinda thrilling."

"I see."

Kagome giggled and pulled him into the house when he awkwardly set her down.

"You're staying tonight, right? I've got an extra room? And a couch?"

"It looks as though I don't have a choice," he countered, glancing at his captured hand in amusement. Really though, he didn't mind her need to drag him along on whatever adventure she'd deemed worthy for the day. He was used to it by now.

It was just how Kagome was.

She chattered brightly to him as she made hot chocolate and headed to her den. He followed willingly, occasionally commenting on something she had to say.

A few hours later, they were both unintentionally asleep on the couch.

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His senses screamed at him in alarm and he came awake immediately. Whipping the hand under his pillow out, he pressed the kunai into the person standing over him and Kagome.

Kisame's face blurrily grinned down at him.

"Still sharp as ever, Itachi," his blue partner muttered quietly, glancing at the dark-haired girl wrapped up in the Sharingan user's embrace, then back at Itachi. A fully activated Sharingan greeted the shark man and he supressed the urge to shiver. Even after years of being around it, the Uchiha Clan's Bloodline Limit still unnerved him.

"I would have activated the traps at the front door had you been anyone else, Kisame," the Uchiha snarled quietly, carefully maneuvering Kagome so that he could prop up on his elbows. A quiet snore from her made him want to smile, but he refrained with Kisame in the room. Glancing around, he absently noted that they must have fallen asleep on the couch. What time was it?

"So, is this the 'girl' Deidara keeps trying to wheedle out of you?" the blue man cut right to the chase, examining the girl that had captured his young friend's attention.

"... If I say yes, will you **stop asking**?" Itachi bit out, gritting his teeth in annoyance and still glaring at his partner. Said partner grinned, showing off a set of very sharp teeth.

"Sure. Then I'll just move on to other awkward questions." Kisame suppressed the urge to chuckle when Itachi just groaned and put a hand to his face in defeat.

"Then, yes. This is her." The bet was his for the taking now.

"... She looks Uchiha." That was an odd thought. The Sharingan user blinked and looked the sleeping priestess over again. Dark black hair. Smooth somewhat pale skin. Pretty features. Had her eyes been the typical obsidian, then yes, she would certainly pass as Uchiha. He'd never considered that possibility.

_'She'd fit right in as one of them.'_ Insert sarcasm.

What a scary thought.

"Why are you here?"

"Mission," the shark man replied shortly, not willing to divulge the information when there were other ears listening. No matter how unconscious the owner was.

Nodding absently, he scooted away from her to try and remove himself from their warm cocoon. Kagome moaned and snuggled closer to him in retaliation. Eye twitching, he tried to keep from sighing at the display of affection and instead ran a hand through his messy unbound hair in agitation. Kisame snickered somewhere behind him and Itachi resisted the urge to just go ahead and stab the blue man with the kunai.

Then he'd have to explain the future blood.

Which would lead to questions. And then introducing Kisame to Kagome. That... would be bad. Kisame could make anyone scream in a matter of heartbeats. He didn't even have to look at them!

Hell, he was blue, for God's sake! If Itachi's Sharingan eyes weren't freaky enough, his battle partner in general would have you running for the hills just at the sight of him.

"Kisame." He whispered so that he wouldn't wake up Kagome. He didn't know how lightly she slept.

Judging from the way she snored minutely, he could guess she was a heavier sleeper than him.

"What?"

"Get out."

"Hell no."

"I'm taking her upstairs. So unless you **want** to explain your presence in her living room to her, I suggest you **leave**." He wasted no time in leveling another red-eyed glare at his partner. Kisame finally grumbled under his breath and turned to leave.

"I'll be outside."

"I don't care. Just leave."

The door closed loudly, making Kagome snort and startle awake, before blurrily surveying the unkempt Uchiha she was sprawled across.

"M'tachi?"

"I need to go."

"M'kay. Goo'night," she mumbled before rolling back over to try to sleep again.

"Kagome, I need to get up." She shifted, then sat up.

"Oh. Sorry."

He followed her up the stairs to her room, only mildly concerned that if she fell in her haziness she'd crack her head open. When Kagome managed to crawl into bed unharmed, Itachi swept the blankets over her and smoothed them down unnecessarily.

_'Why am I delaying?'_

"I'll be back."

"I know. Be safe," she replied, snuggled down into her pillows and sighing in contentment. The Uchiha muttered something under his breath, smoothed down her dark hair and rose to leave. He jerked when a strand of his hair was yanked. Glancing back, he glared at the smug look she threw him.

"That was payback for tickling me earlier."

"You want me to seek vengence?"

"No. I want you to play fair next time!"

"Impossible. I'm a ninja. We **never** play fair," the Sharingan user smirked, relinquishing her hold on him and sweeping elegantly out of her room.

He left her pouting, anticipating what she'd throw at him next time.

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A/N: And a Happy New Year to you all too! And there's another poll. In my profile. I appreciate your votes! And reviews!

So, since there was such a massive influx of people liking **The Red Sin**, I'm planning on really focusing on that next chapter after I get a couple more of this one done. If you haven't read that yet, you're welcome to take a moment to do so.

In the mean time, I will be trying to center myself back into **Something Blue**. The genres and the characters from both are so different, I'm afraid I might try to mix the personalities. Bear with me please.


	18. The Brats

Summary

Never, under any circumstances, underestimate children. They are devious creatures and they will rip you to shreds if you show any weakness...

A/N: So I decided to take the advice of some of you and type this segment out. So, without further ado, here we go! Oh, and B&E means breaking and entering. If you didn't know that.

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He could tell, even without the use of his Sharingan (which he **still** wasn't allowed to use in the village), that Kagome wasn't home. It didn't stop him from the lovely B&E that he performed to get in.

_'She really needs better security... or traps. On the windows. The doors... that ridiculously small chimney she has in her den.'_ Itachi made a mental note to inform her of such construction and to ignore any possible protests for the sake of keeping his new 'friend' safe. Since no one was here to see it, he rolled his eyes at the thought.

Kisame would be so proud.

Looking around, he shrugged and set about accomplishing his task. Shortly after weaving his newest genjutsu onto the back door, the Uchiha turned to go into the kitchen. He was thirsty and water would probably be in his healthiest interest. Plus, he could just clean the glass and put it back in the cabinet when he was done with it. His brow furrowed at the note on the fridge, and he muttered obscenities to himself.

_Itachi,_

_If you stop by,_

_I'm at the orphanage today. _

_There's soup in the fridge _

_if you want it. _

_See you soon!_

_Kagome_

_P.S.- Please close the _

_window when you leave. _

_I know you're a ninja and all,_

_but the last time you were _

_here you left it open._

_It almost gave me _

_a heart attack. _

_K. Thnxs! _

Itachi grumbled and opened the fridge. He was getting predictable. That... was bad.

"If it's chicken, I'll **let** her get caught in that genjutsu on the back door."

Thankfully, it wasn't. He still hadn't quite gotten over his whole 'Chicken Incident', as Kagome liked to call it. He just called it ridiculous. He **was not** afraid of chickens. Anything remotely poultry-like was just on his 'To Kill List', and that included ducks, geese, roosters, and the occasional ostrich. Not that he'd ever seen an ostrich. He'd only heard of them and they sounded ridiculous.

_'Burrowing their heads underground to hide... Like that'll do them any good when a bear or something attacks.'_

Several hours later, the Uchiha was incredibly bored. Glancing at the clock on the wall of the den, he set down the book he'd been reading for the past few hours. He really had no interest in the human psyche or what this "Freud" had contributed to society. He was already almost insane enough without someone trying to figure out how he ticked.

_'When is she getting back? Am I really going to just sit here and wait any longer?'_

No, decided, he wasn't. He was going to go out there and drag her back home. He would not let his day be in vain and go to waste just because she wasn't there.

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A forboding feeling settled in the pit of his stomach the moment the orphanage came into sight. He didn't like it. At all. But, Kagome was in there and he **refused** to go back to the base this early in the afternoon. The others would just harp on him and then Leader-sama would decide to give him an asinine mission.

He didn't want to admit it, but at first, Itachi kind of liked the kids. They were, dare he think it, cute.

Then things had gotten quickly out of hand. Most of the children didn't do very well with authority figures. Him especially. The only one they seemed to really listen to was Kagome. He had no idea why. Maybe it was because she was good at dealing with kids?

_'See, **this** is why I don't deal with kids on a regular basis.'_

Obviously there was also a sore lack of discipline; not to mention volunteers. So when he'd walked in, hoping to snatch Kagome quickly and get out, he hadn't turned out so lucky. They thought **he** was a volunteer.

_'Do I __**really**__ look like someone that would volunteer at an orphanage?'_ Itachi thought, glancing down at his clothes. His favorite plain black shirt, black pants, ninja sandals. The shoes alone should have given him away immediately. Apparently not.

So, here he was, playing **babysitter** for a bunch of brats. He couldn't have been more incensed. Every time he attempted to speak to Kagome, they whisked her off to "play" something else.

Oh, but he was on to their little ploy. It was all an act, after all. Their ringleader, a tiny little blonde girl named Shizuka, smirked and stuck her tongue out at him again when the priestess turned her attention to the group of hellions.

He hated blondes. For obvious reasons, of course.

"All right everyone! For our last activity of the day, we're going to paint!" Kagome announced, grinning at the multitude of cheers from the group of eight year olds.

Itachi was immediately dreading the possibilities, especially when Kagome sidled up to him and handed him a bucket of bright yellow paint. That smug smirk on her face said it all.

He was doomed. He just knew it.

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Shizuka growled under her breath when **her Kagome** laughed at something Itachi said to her again. She **hated** him! He was waaay too close to Kagome. This unknown male was trying to steal her big sister away!

_'Well, we'll see how that goes when we execute "Operation- Paint Bomb" on him,'_ the little blonde girl smiled evilly, motioning for some of the other kids to join her in a circle. There, she went over her ingenious plan in high hopes of winning their "Big Sister" back from the Uchiha's evil clutches.

When the adults were occupied with helping the children paint, Shizuka's little friends helped her hoist a can of green paint onto the top of a door. It balanced there precariously, and they waited with baited breath until it settled on the edge of the door. They breathed a sigh. Everything was going according to plan.

"You're supposed to be painting, kids," Itachi's voice floated over them, and one of the kids "accidentally" bumped the door. The can teetered, then fell with a mighty "SPLOOSH".

Shizuka wanted to scream when the dark-haired male merely side-stepped the falling can. She settled for smiling innocently and shrieking in laughter when the aftershocks bouced up splattered all over the indignant Uchiha.

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Itachi gaped in disbelief at the little devils. They merely smiled innocently and laughed like little angels. How the **hell** was he supposed to explain **this **to his team mates when he went back later?

Okay, scratch that. How the **hell** had a bunch of little kids managed to get one up on **him**? Paint stains were nearly impossible to get out of clothes. It was everywhere! He knew his favorite shirt would never feel the same again!

_'I smell like a freshly painted house!'_

"Itachi? I think they're occupied enough now. I'm ready to g-! Oh my God! What happened to you?"

"Kagome nii-san! Your friend is... strange. He wanted to paint too!" Shizuka declared, grinning smugly and thinking she had won. Kagome would dump this loser and then the priestess would be all hers. The kid really had no idea that Itachi was **very** capable of revenge.

"I... see." Though she really didn't. All she knew was that the kids **did not like** Itachi for some reason or another. She had no idea why. Maybe it was because he was a ninja?

_'Poor Itachi. I better get him out of here before he tries to kill someone.'_

"C'mon Itachi. Let's get you back to my place." She tried to tug on his sleeve, but he batted her away, a very evil gleam in his dark eyes.

"Next time, " he started softly, dangerously, "you want to play paint, I suggest you use watercolors, kid." He raised a hand and smothered the green paint in Shizuka's blonde hair. He couldn't kill her, obviously. She was eight. And defenseless. So he settled for another type of revenge. The eight year old gaped in shock as the Uchiha turned to leave elegantly. Despite being covered in paint, he still looked every inch the regal Clan leader. Suddenly, her little cheeks flushed. Itachi was... handsome.

"Oh, and if this ever happens again, I will make your little prank look like... child's play," he added grinning evilly at the children. Every one of them shuddered in fear. Instinctively, they knew that crossing the older male again would mean bad things. Very bad things.

"All right, you. Let's go," Kagome announced, huffing in annoyance. Really, Itachi was supposed to be the mature one. When he merely smirked at her superiorly, she proceeded to push him out the door, accidentally getting paint in his long hair.

"Umm... Oops?" He turned to face her, brows lowered suspiciously.

"What do you mean 'Oops'?"

"I... kinda got it in your hair. We may have to cut it if we can't get the green out," the priestess replied hastily, grinning sheepishly and apologizing again. He barely had time to shout a "What?" before he was shoved unceremoniously out of the orphanage.

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He was completely incensed. It was unavoidable. After all, he really didn't spend a lot of time around kids in general. He was too busy trying to toughen Sasuke up to kill him.

Kagome, in the meantime, was busy trying to gather some things together to calm the Uchiha down. That last thing she wanted was for him to suddenly snap out of his funk and decide to go on a child-killing rampage.

_'He shouldn't have come to the orphanage,'_ the priestess thought, shaking her head and pulling a towel from the linens' closet.

"Here. Take these and go get cleaned up," she handed him the towel and a clean change of clothes. He took them without a fight. Kagome swallowed delicately. Things were going to get ugly if she didn't move him quickly. "The bathroom's right," she opened the door and pushed him in gently, "here. Shampoo's under the sink. It's not girly smelling either." She stood there awkwardly, biting her lip at the slightly lost look he sent her. "I'll... leave you to it."

And then she left.

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Exactly six minutes and twenty-seven seconds later, Itachi was ready to call in Deidara to bomb the orphanage the next chance he got. Though he had been able to get the green gunk out of his precious hair, he would relish the screams of those ignorant children as they burned to the ground inside the building. He'd lock every door himself too, and then maybe bring some popcorn for the show.

By the time he was clean, the Uchiha was feeling nice and overly murderous. And when he voiced the idea to Kagome, he ignored the petrified look she graced him with. In fact, he was going to go there right now and get started. He wasn't crazy. He was a genius.

Kagome didn't think so. In fact, she proceeded to knock him out for the remainder of the afternoon with a skillet. He felt that that had been a little too dramatic of her. He'd only been joking, after all. Sort of.

She'd then blamed that explosive headache on the fact that she had thought he'd dodge it with his 'Mad Ninja Skills'.

All to protect a bunch of little brats.

... He **hated** obnoxious children.

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Most of the Akatsuki were used to Itachi coming home from some strange predicament or another. Kisame had even stopped screaming when his young partner had returned once soaking wet. The kid had later gotten sick.

So it came as no surprise when the Uchiha walked in the door with Sharingan active, an ice pack on his head, and a tupperware container under his arm. The shark-man sighed and prepared to do battle with his irate partner. He could only be thankful that Deidara was out on a mission this time.

"What happened this time, Itachi?" The former heir hissed at him angrily and chucked the tupperware quite accurately at him. The blue man caught it easily and watched with vague concern as the younger man stumbled over to a drawer and riffled through the contents.

_'What is he looking-?'_ Ah. The advil. Kisame noted that he shook out four tablets and swallowed them easily. Maybe now he could get some answers. Itachi slumped down on the couch, reached over for a blanket, and threw it over his head. That was usually a good sign that the dojutsu user wanted to be left alone.

Too bad Kisame felt like Deidara and wanted to pry.

"Itachi..."

"I got hit in the head by a skillet," was the muffled response, "I was unconscious for 37 minutes and 24 seconds."

Kisame blinked. "... How did someone manage to sneak up on **you** and knock you unconscious?"

Scratch that, how had he **known** how long he'd been **unconscious**? That was a mystery that would probably go unsolved.

"Because I'm an overly trusting idiot."

Okay, not the answer he was hoping for. Kisame glanced down at the tupperware and noted the name on the top. Interesting. Looks like the Uchiha had gone to visit that girl again.

"Was it a regular skillet or cast iron?"

"I don't really care to remember," his partner replied acidly, the words muffled under his blanket. The shark man nodded and decided to try from a different angle.

"So... what's in the box?" Itachi's head popped out of the blanket, hair messy and glared at the container in annoyance.

"Cookies. I don't even like cookies," he replied, huffing in agitation. The blue man peeled the top off and pulled a sugar cookie out. He then proceeded to munch on the sweet treat.

"They're pretty good though," Kisame pointed out absently, going in for another treat. His partner's Sharingan began to swirl dangerously and the shark man did something daring.

He stuffed a cookie in his uptight friend's mouth. Itachi choked and reeled back, the tomoe in his eyes shifting to a pinwheel instantly.

"What the hell-?"

"You need to relax a little, Itachi. You might have a concussion."

"I'm going to **give you** a concussion, Kisame," the Uchiha snarled around his cookie, chewing furiously to rid himself of the sweet treat, "... Once I'm finished with this." He stood and stalked away in the direction of his room. Kisame snickered, but was overall annoyed that he hadn't gotten to ask his most important question. Itachi stormed back into the room and snatched the container from the blue man's hands.

"My cookies!"

Kisame laughed before giving his sparring partner one last shot.

"Itachi! Teach her to not write her name on her stuff!"

Something glass broke. It was pretty obvious the Uchiha had noticed.

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A/N: And there goes Itachi's murderous streak. It seems to flare up every once in a while. Especially from skillet-induced headaches. He should have run while he had the chance. Hahaha!

Has anyone seen that Disney movie Tangled, because that's where I got the skillet idea from. I just... went on a tangent with it. I lol'd when I woke up in the morning and read it, then decided to keep it because it was out of the blue.

And it's neck and neck at the poll right now! Who will take home the prize? Find out soon! And vote! Lolz. I sound like a corny announcer!

So now you all know what to do! Review and let me know what you think!


	19. Scroll

Summary

For some reason, the thought of her not being there bothers him...

A/N: At over 350 reviews, I am completely blown away at how amazing you guys continue to be. You're support is very appreciated and I love hearing from each and every one of you! I'll just keep churning along, then. I'm running out of ideas again. Hehe. Can you tell yet? -sighs-

Anyways, please read and review!

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She was dozing on the couch when he saw her next. Really, he'd thought about not bothering to show up; what with Kisame asking weird questions. What the **hell** did he mean by 'How does she taste?' anyway? Surely the shark man wasn't implying-

Itachi flushed, the sudden urge to go back to base to turn his partner into sushi almost overwhelming the precarious hold on his patience.

_'And they call me a genius.'_ Nudging her with a hand, he supressed the urge to laugh outright when she bolted up right and screamed at the top of her lungs.

"GIANT HOUSE-SIZED DOGS!"

Taking a deep concentrated breath, Itachi bit his lip to contain the urge to ask, but it escaped anyway.

"Bad dream?" He wanted to kick himself. It was such an obvious question. Kagome gazed up at him helplessly, wide blue eyes brimming with sleepy unshed tears.

"No, I just like screaming random phrases to nobody in particular," she replied, blinking her eyes and ridding herself of the sleep in them.

"... Oh." What the hell had he gotten himself into?

"Itachi?"

"... Yes?"

"Sarcasm."

He leveled a glare at her innocent smile.

"Not funny."

"Sorry," Kagome giggled, despite the fact that her friend looked ready to smack her, "I just couldn't resist."

"I'm sure."

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He tried to immerse himself in the scrolls he'd purchased that day. Really, he tried. But he couldn't ignore her. Not when she was peering over his shoulder like that!

"Stop. That." He tried to make himself sound polite. It probably didn't work. At all.

"Stop what?"

"The shoulder... and the reading... and- Just stop!"

"Well, you could always read it out loud?"

"... No." That would require him to actually focus on what was in front of him and not on the way that she smelled. It was... pleasing. Okay, that was a bad idea.

"C'mon! Please?"

"Absolutely not."

"You're no fun today," Kagome huffed, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall in agitation.

"I'm working. It's not supposed to be fun," he replied offhandedly. Rolling the scroll, he deduced that the information in there was useful indeed, but not what he was looking for at the moment. The priestess blinked, shifting in her spot in apology.

"I'm sorry. I'll leave," she mumbled, turning to go upstairs. A hand on her wrist stopped her and she glanced back at the Sharingan user. He looked nearly as perplexed as she felt. Awkwardly, he dropped her wrist and looked away... sheepishly? Was she reading that right?

"... Stay." He wasn't sure why, but he felt that if she were to go now, she wouldn't talk to him for the rest of the day.

She stayed. And somehow, he seemed to relax again; as though they'd never argued.

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"What's that one say?" He wasn't going to get anything accomplished today, was he?

"It's an intricate demostration of the usage of chakra to sever and repair arteries," he replied, spreading the scroll out to let her see the limited pictures.

"Why are you studying medical stuff?" she asked, confused by the sudden turn of interest in the Uchiha.

_'Because I'm trying to find a way to keep from going blind,'_ the former heir thought, not wanting to voice that out loud. Kagome would absolutely flip. And then she'd try to find a way to help; which might not be such a bad thing... No! He didn't want to get her involved!

"A good ninja is **always** prepared," he said instead, patting her head accordingly when she nodded sagely.

"Ahh, I see."

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A/N: Is it just me or was this incredibly easy to do? Especially when I'm really tired. Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I'm really glad to have your support!

So, the poll is tied once again! Each selection has the same amount of votes now! It all depends on you to change that! So, don't forget to vote please! That will be closing down very soon. Don't miss your chance to vote!

Reviews are always appreciated.


	20. Tattoo

Summary

He'd never thought that a reminder of his past would hold her attention...

A/N: Just so everyone knows, as far as ANBU goes, males wear the symbol on their left shoulder; females on the right. I looked it up. Now, the only thing I'm not sure about is if the tattoo is used in all ANBU affiliations or just Konoha, so I'm assuming it's all. At least, that's what I'm going with.

Also, I'm having a lot of trouble with FF's alerts, hits, etc... So if you're having trouble viewing my updates, that's why, and I'm sorry. Hopefully they'll get that fixed soon.

Finally, I put a new poll up. So please be kind and participate in that.

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"Itachi." The Uchiha turned to face his brightly colored 'fearless leader'. Pein motioned for him to walk with him and they headed down the hall. Shortly after, they were alone in the leader's office.

"Please, take a seat," Pein said, sitting in his own cushy high-backed chair and reaching under the desk. Itachi glanced at the simple chair and sat, a single brow raised in a silent arrogant manner.

"Is there a specific reason for this, Leader-sama?" the younger male asked frostily. His superior nodded and placed a bag onto his desk.

"I have a solo mission for you, Itachi," Pein replied, pushing the bag towards the young man. Itachi blinked blankly and reached for the bag. He pulled out a sleeveless black shirt, already not liking the possibilities. Armor and a katana followed after, and the former Clan heir began to feel distinctly sick to his stomach. He recognized this uniform, as well as the armor. And he **did not like** where this conversation was going.

The orange-haired Akatsuki member continued, "I need you to infiltrate the deepest parts of Kirigakure. They seemed to have acquired some rather disturbing information. We need it to... disappear." He used terminology that the young Uchiha hadn't heard in a long time. Outwardly, he showed no reaction. It was the mark of a good ninja.

Inwardly, however, he just knew this was going to be one of his more difficult missions. Especially if Pein was hinting at what he thought he was hinting at.

"You want me to pose as an ANBU of Mist."

"Precisely." Itachi shot to his feet, teeth bared in annoyance.

"I want **nothing **to do with that organization!" he snarled, Sharingan bright red and features livid. Pein bore the temper tantrum with a stoic persona.

"I don't believe I was giving you an option, Itachi," the leader of the Akatsuki countered coldly, Rinnengan eyes darkening in challenge. Itachi knew better though, and backed down angrily. Pein was the leader for a very good reason.

It wouldn't bode well if the older man decided to kill him. The Uchiha sat back down and pulled the bag to him again.

"You **will **infiltrate Mist as one of their ANBU and gather the information I need," the Rinnengan user continued as though he hadn't been interrupted, "I'm counting on you to fulfill this mission to the best of your ability, Itachi."

"... I understand, Leader-sama."

"Very well. You may go now," Pein sighed, waving the young male out the door, "The details of your mission are in the bag. Once you're finished memorizing the details, burn them."

"Yes, Leader-sama." Itachi swirled out the door in a dark rage. This mission had Madara written all over it.

He hated when the older Uchiha interfered with his life.

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His mission had been a success, of course. He was the best, after all. He'd even dodged the several attempts that the true Mist ANBU had tried to use in order to capture, and most likely torture, him into giving what information he could about Konoha and the Akatsuki. The truth was, he wasn't sure if all the information he **did **possess of Konoha was even relevant anymore.

In a sneaky, silent way, he slid open the window to Kagome's kitchen and hopped inside. He'd rather be here than back at base anyway. When the priestess turned to acknowledge him, she dropped the spoon she was holding, the color draining from her face and her blue eyes wide in fear. That was a strange reaction. She was **never** afraid of him. At least, she never showed it if she was. It wasn't like he was... dressed up... strangely... and...

_'Yeah, I forgot about that small part where she's never seen me in ANBU regalia before,'_ the Uchiha thought, leaning back against the window he'd come through. He then blinked. Huh... she had the oddest hair styles some days. Today, she was wearing her long hair in two braids, which were then rolled up into buns on either side of her head. Very odd.

The priestess warily eyed the masked ninja in her kitchen, fear gripping her throat and preventing her from screaming.

"I know it's not how I usually dress, but you don't have to look so terrified, Kagome," the masked ninja teased, lifting an armor-gloved hand to remove the porcelain mask. It was an interesting piece in that it had two thick dark red stripes down either side from top to bottom where the eyes were. The teeth, which wasn't a normal thing etched onto masks, were jagged and reminded him of a grinning monster right before it would devour your soul. He kind of liked it, in a way.

The priestess breathed a sigh of relief. She recognized that voice.

"Itachi. That was **not **funny! You scared me!" the dark-haired girl growled, glaring visciously at the preoccupied male. He carelessly set the creepy mask aside on the window sill and threw himself sulkily into one of the kitchen chairs. Though his mission had been successful, it had brought back too many memories.

"What's your problem anyway, dressing like that? Not to mention that creepy mask! And you could have used the door, you know!"

He just shrugged nonchalantly, not really willing to divulge that kind of information... yet. The Uchiha didn't want to go back when he felt so... vulnerable. Here would be the safest place for him. The priestess had shown remarkable control when it came to his temper. He inwardly winced at that particular idiotic move.

Leader would just have to wait for his stupid information. He was a paranoid bastard anyway.

Kagome finally sighed when he didn't respond, then turned back to the wok she'd disregarded and plugged it in to start cooking.

"You wanna stay for lunch?"

"... Yes."

"Then get changed out of... **that**, and meet me down here in 10 minutes," the priestess replied primly, picking out a new sponn and stirring in the vegitables a little violently. She heard what sounded like a laugh and turned to the Uchiha to give him a piece of her mind.

He was already gone.

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She was glad he was back in the normal clothes he wore, but the odd uniform was still very curious to her. She had a feeling, though, if she asked, that he wouldn't say anything. Still...

"Itachi?"

"Hmm." Kagome fidgeted in her seat, glancing at him then away again. The Uchiha raised a brow at the odd behaviour. Usually, the priestess would just plow right in and ask a random question that never ceased to catch him somewhat off guard. He set his chopsticks down and reached across the table. His fingers caught her chin and he turned her face towards him.

"What is it, Kagome?"

"Well... I... don't want to press into details but..."

"I know. But you will probably ask again in the future anyway."

"I..." the dark-haired girl trailed off again, looking anywhere but at the Sharingan user's eyes. Something dark caught her attention and she immediately latched onto it.

"When did you get a tattoo?" She wanted to smack herself for that. But then, it was the first thing that had popped into her head.

Itachi stiffened, not expecting **that **question. Of all the one's she could have asked, Kagome had to ask the one he **didn't** have an answer for!

"... A long time ago."

"Really? I thought you could only get a tattoo when you were 18?"

"I... I've never heard of that."

"Ohh... Maybe I'm... wrong?" The priestess wanted to wince at the unconvincing tone. She barely stopped herself.

Just barely.

"Maybe." She stood suddenly and came around to his side. Hestitantly, she traced the bottom edge until it disappeared under the sleeve. Itachi felt very light-headed, for some strange reason. Why did the feel of her fingers on the constant reminder of his past feel... good?

_'What is wrong with me?'_

"Can I... Can I see it?" Kagome whispered, mesmerized by the black ink stained on his arm. She really wanted to see it.

Itachi swallowed delicately, then nodded and pushed the rest of his sleeve up. Her finger started at the bottom again and slowly dragged upward, following the swirl of the symbol and up to the top. He was sure he was breathing harder than normal. _'Damn stupid hormones!'_

"It's beautiful." Well, he'd never thought of it that way, but if she wanted to believe that, he wasn't going to stop her. "What does it mean?"

"It... means that I was part of an... elite force at my village," he replied, carefully editing his words in order to not give anything away. He'd done it for so long that it was almost second nature at this point.

"You were part of an elite organization?" Kagome asked, eyes wide with awe. It was a look he hadn't received in a long time. It was... refreshing. "You must have been a very good ninja."

"I was a Captain by the time I was 13."

"N-No way! For real?" She then proceeded to goggle at him in shock," So... You're not that old, are you?"

"I'm 18. Did you expect older?"

"W-Well I-! How was I supposed to know, Itachi?" He smirked, leaning over to muss her ridiculous hair up in amusment. Her dark bangs and loose strands fell into her face, which was red in embarrassment. _'He acts so much more mature than any eighteen year old I've **ever** met or known.'_

"That must have been hard for you, though," Kagome countered once she'd gotten a hold of herself, "Being so young and in such a high position."

"It was... the wish of my family to be a part of it."

"Yeah... But was that what you wanted?"

"Yes. Everything else was... very boring. There was no challenge in being a regular ninja." His response was immediate, and though he sounded like it **was** what he wanted, it also felt as though he'd been **raised** to answer in such a way. Kagome found it to be... disconcerting. Had someone drilled those thoughts into his head? She didn't like the thought of someone, anyone, telling her friend how to live his life.

"There's nothing wrong with choosing something **you **want to do, Itachi," the priestess countered quietly, standing and clearing away their empty dishes. It left him to himself, and he re-analyzed the conversation, suddenly realizing he'd given a lot more of himself away than he would have liked.

Kagome was a smart girl. She would catch on to things sooner of later if he wasn't more careful.

"I **have **done things for myself," the Sharingan user countered just as quietly, the challenge in his tone evident. Kagome turned back and looked him straight in the eye without flinching.

"Oh yeah? Like what?" But how could she not see it? The proof was right in front of her!

"I'm here. **That** is of my own choosing."

And for some reason, he was pleased when she smiled happily at him in agreement.

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A/N: Another small but significant step in the right direction for Itachi and Kagome. They're coming to understand each other a little more; bit by bit. Thanks for all the support and being so patient, everyone!

Okay, so the mask that I attempted to describe looks like Ichigo's Bankai Hollow mask in Bleach when he fights with Ulquiorra. With the stripes down the front. And the teeth. Can't forget the teeth. Minus the crazy horns. Please imagine **that **face when you turn around in your kitchen and there's a random ninja sitting there watching you. Now, you can understand why Kagome was scared.

So the poll has officially closed! The winner is... -drumroll- **Hot For Teacher**! There must be a lot of people out there that wanna see me attempt something on the smutty lines. You guys are absolutely nuts, but I'll get to work on that... after I get the final chapter done for **The Red Sin**. I don't want too much on my plate, after all. Thanks for voting!

Speaking of **The Red Sin**, I'll be taking a small break from **Something Blue** in order to get that final chapter out. That way I can concentrate more fully on this story! Thank you all and I hope for your amazing patience.

As always, please review!


	21. Brothers

Summary

They find they have a little more in common than they thought...

A/N: Ta-da! Lookit what I did! A new update! Of course, it took me long enough! But I had a lot of things to do. And, I'm a little brain-dead right now as far as **The Red Sin** goes. I'm so close to being done that it's driving me insane. So, to keep you guys occupied, I'm going ahead with this next chapter. It's just a little short, but I thought it was cute. And a little neccessary. But anyway, here you go!

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She hummed an indistinct tune as she cooked whatever it was that smelled delicious. His stomach rumbled and he discreetly put a hand over it in embarrassment. Really though, she was the only person that willingly cooked a full out meal that he was willing to eat. After all, he didn't have to worry about her poisoning him. Deidara, on the other hand, would probably try to poison his cereal, if he even took the time to eat the stuff.

The last time that kind of kindness had happened to him was... back then. Swift memories of his mother standing at the kitchen counter chopping vegetables made him slightly dazed with remorse. He was lost in thought enough that he didn't hear Kagome step in front of him.

He did however, notice her waving sticky fingers in his face. Blinking languidly, Itachi leveled a minor glare at the priestess. She giggled and smiled charmingly at him.

"You finally make it back to earth, Space Cadet?"

"I never left it." She sighed, gracing him with a deadpan stare, before whirling away and sauntering back over to the oven.

"I was actually asking you a question when you zoned out there."

"I see. What was it?"

"Do you like tomatos?"

"Occasionally. My brother prefers them more, though," he replied easily, biting his tongue in shock and whipping his attention back to her when she dropped her spoon.

"Wait! You have a brother?" Kagome spluttered, goggling at the Uchiha in shock, "Why haven't you ever told me about this? Is he older? Younger? What's he like?" He cursed himself for the slip-up, and resigned himself to explain about Sasuke to her.

"Yes. He's younger than I. He'd be... 12 or 13 now. Sasuke's... a little rash. He gets that from... father."

"I've got a little brother too! He's probably about 11 by now. He was always such a brat." But the way she said it was so tenderly, he immediately knew that she loved him anyway. No matter what.

"They... do that. A lot. Little brothers always seem to want to be like the older child," he replied, watching the sky out the window idly and thinking back on a time when things were just a little easier.

"Yeah. But you always tell them to just be theirselves."

"They never understand that there's no need to walk in the older sibling's shoes."

"Exactly!" Kagome laughed, then launched into a dramatic story about how Souta had tried to roller skate shortly after she'd gotten a pair for her birthday one year. The image of a small boy that looked similar to Kagome rolling around on pink skates made him grin in amusement, and Itachi told her about Sasuke's attempt at the shuriken practice that he'd shown her several months ago.

"He ended up with a twisted ankle, and I had to carry him home," he sighed, thinking wistfully of those times. He really missed them occasionally.

"You sound like he means a lot to you," Kagome stated, tilting her head at the self-mockery that flickered across the male's face briefly.

"He's... my brother. I'd do anything for him."

_'Even turn him against me to keep him safe.'_

"I... I know what you mean." She talked easily about Souta all through dinner, regaling tale after tale about the younger Higurashi. It was a little harder for Itachi to talk about his brother, but with all the interesting things the priestess spoke about, he eventually gave in. Soon, they were comparing and differentiating between the two boys. They'd both agreed that it would be interesting if one met the other, and agreed to disagree on which one was the cuter one.

Itachi hadn't felt this light in years. Maybe... talking things out with someone wasn't such a bad idea after all. The pain in his heart lessened with each laugh that Kagome expelled, and he made a note that it wasn't that he'd talked about Sasuke, but that he'd told **her**.

He'd never felt closer to someone. Not even his parents. They were never interested in what he thought, or what he said. All they'd wanted was for him to do. They'd wanted a controllable puppet. Well, that had backfired beautifully in their faces. Because, in the end, they'd created a monster.

Kagome furrowed her brow slightly when it seemed like her friend had jumped on a space ship and blasted off again. "Itachi?" He snapped out of his funk immediately, the dark look in his eyes flickering away. Inwardly, she was happy that she'd chased that darkness away. It didn't suit him. At all.

"I'm fine."

"Do you want desert? I made cake?" She rose and started to the kitchen before he could protest.

"I don't **like** sweets."

"Well, too bad! You're too skinny!" Kagome argued, throwing a cheeky grin back at him. There was a twinkle in her eye that'd he'd come to associate with her teasing remarks.

"It's called a high metabolism!" Itachi countered, crossing his arms and leaning back gracefully on her sofa.

"Still too skinny!" she sang out, dancing into the kitchen and out of sight.

Huffing slightly in resignation, he settled himself to be accosted by her ridiculous sweet tooth. He wasn't **that** skinny, was he? Glancing down at himself, he took a vague note that his clothes did fit just slightly differently than before. Maybe she was fattening him up?

He wasn't surprised. After all, she sent cookies back with him almost everytime he went back to base. He was going to be a diabetic at this rate.

Really though, he'd never had someone care that much for him.

It was... nice. And for once, he decided against taking back the word.

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A/N: Awww! Another bonding session for our favorite two! Also, for those of you that didn't know yet, I have posted the first chapter of **Hot For Teacher**. If you're interested, check it out!

So, I've got a little secret for you guys... -looks around-

I finally finished the outline for this story. And, I have to say, I'm a little more than half-way done with the whole thing. Things are about to get very dramatic very soon. This story is going to total out somewhere between 35-40 chapters, give or take a few. I appreciate the support you guys are giving me. Hope it continues until the very end. You guys are great!

Also, NEW POLL! And this one is a just little more serious than usual, so I would really appreciate your votes on what you think.

I like those reviews. They're really nice.


	22. Rosary

Summary

It always seems that Kagome and men of the silver-haired persuasion never get along in the beginning...

A/N: Yes, I've done it. It's time for Kagome to meet someone else from the Akatsuki. Hope you all enjoy this. It was slightly a bitch to write. Despite my computer being on the fritz right now, I did manage to get this typed up... on my husband's computer... And he's looking over my shoulder right now while tapping his foot. Now he's laughing at me because I'm typing about it. I love him. He's da best!

At over 400 reviews, I am feeling very awesome indeed. But then, I probably wouldn't have made it this far without my readers out there! You guys are absolutely amazing. I don't think I can stress that enough. But it's true.

**Warning**- Not an actual warning. Just typical Hidan.

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Itachi had no idea what Leader-sama was thinking, pairing him up with Hidan for **this** particular assignment. He was, for the most part, indifferent to the Jashinist... when he wasn't being a pain in the ass with his rituals. That... was constantly happening.

It had taken them nearly twice as long to complete their mission due to these circumstances. The Uchiha was ready to strangle the silver-haired man for being such an ass. He really had to wonder at how Kakuzu was able to deal with him on a near daily basis. The other missing nin had to be insane by now. He sure felt like he was headed in that direction.

"Hey." If Hidan asked **one more time** if they could stop to do one of his damn rituals, he would leave the idiot behind. Sans his head.

"What," the former heir hissed, Sharingan blazing in annoyance. He was at his limit, as far as tolerance went. Because if the next words out of the Jashinist's mouth were 'ritual' or something incredibly lewd, he was going to snap.

"Let's stop at the village. I want to get some shit and restock on some supplies," Hidan commented, then added off-handedly, "Then we can go see that girl of yours that everyone's shittin' bricks about."

To his credit, he did not trip and run into the nearest tree in shock. Instead, he snarled and leveled a heated glare at the silver-haired missing nin. "There **is no girl**! Stop. Asking!"

"I think your fuckin' partner would say otherwise, bastard," the other male countered cheekily, smirking in victory when Itachi twitched quite violently.

He was going to turn Kisame into **sushi**.

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He sincerely hoped that they wouldn't see Kagome today. That, maybe, she was outside the village running some kind of errand. Karma was having a good laugh at him though, because shortly after restocking on supplies, they ran into her.

Literally, ran in to her. Hidan smirked and caught her before she hit the ground.

"Aww, gee, sorry about that," he said, not meaning his words at all. Meanwhile, Itachi's face had been leeched of most of its color the moment Hidan had purposely bumped into the girl.

_'Please don't say anything to me. Please don't say that-'_

"Itachi? Is that you?"

_'-you know me. I hate ESP. It never works.'_ Hidan took one look at the pretty girl and clicked things together immediately.

"You're the chick everyone else has been screamin' around about, ain't 'cha?" he asked, grinning manically when she gave him a deadpan stare. She **had** to be. Only someone **this** naive would be so fuckin' **nice** to Itachi.

"Ummm... I guess... so?" Kagome replied, glancing at the horror-struck Uchiha in a 'help me' kind of way. Itachi merely closed his eyes and actually pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew this was bound to happen at some point or another, but he'd hoped that the first Akatsuki member he was there to introduce her to was a little more... sane than Hidan's particular brand of crazy. Like Kisame. Or Konan. But definitely not Pein or Deidara. He inwardly shuddered at the thought of the sweet girl meeting the blonde bomb's expert, or their brightly colored 'fearless leader'.

Hell, the guy would probably try to recruit her if he ever found out what she was. A prietess to monitor demon-vessels. Just what they needed. Not.

_'Like hell I'd **ever** let them talk her into joining the Akatsuki willingly. I'd kill her myself before I'd let that happen.'_

"This is... Hidan," the Uchiha finally ground out, restraining the urge to punch the Jashinist when he leered at the young priestess, "Don't give him your blood because he'll kill you with it."

"You're a fuckin' spoiled sport, Uchiha," the silver-haired man sighed, rubbing his hair lazily before sticking a hand out, "I ain't gonna kill her." Kagome awkwardly took the hand and shook it. "Yet."

"I'll have you know, I don't die easily," the priestess growled out, glaring heatedly at the much taller male, "The last time someone tried to, I purified him."

Hidan blinked in shock, registered her words, then grinned in a completely different way at her. "Well, what do you know. We already got a shit ton in common, girl. I'm a priest."

"Of what? Voodoo? And it's Kagome, thank you," she mumbled, eyeing the enormous scythe he carried warily. At least, if Itachi carried weapons, they weren't visible.

... Did Itachi carry weapons? In the village? She glanced at the stoic male in consternation, then brought her attention back to Hidan.

"Jashin. I'm a messenger for His Holiness."

"You sure you didn't just make that up? I've never even **heard** of a Jashin. And I've read about all sorts of religions," Kagome deadpanned, not expecting the fire to light Hidan's eyes.

Itachi, for the most part, was somewhat stunned. This was the most civilized he'd **ever** seen Hidan be to someone that wasn't in the Akatsuki. Maybe, this wasn't such a bad idea?

The silver-haired priest let loose a verbal storm of curses on the priestess at her comment, and the Uchiha took back his earlier thought. No, this had 'Bad Idea' written all over it. He'd step in if the idiot decided to start swinging his scythe around. He absolutely **refused** to let the priestess become one of His Nutiness's sacred sacrifices. Otherwise, it looked like Kagome was holding her own against the crazy religious fanatic fairly well.

"-and further more, you ungratefull hell-bound wench, what's to say the shit you believe in is even true? Why I oughta' stab you now and let your blood be the next sacrifice to my Master Jashin! He'd like a fuckin' virgin, after all! They're the sweetest-!" The dark-haired girl flushed deep red. Whether from embarrassment or anger, the Sharingan weilder wasn't quite sure. But then, he was feeling a little warm himself from that particular comment.

... Did that mean she **was** a virgin? Okay, **that **had 'Bad Idea' written all over it too. As in, Stop. Thinking. About. It.

_'I am so screwed.'_ The screaming match finally got his attention back when Kagome looked ready to throttle the Jashinist.

"I've got one word for you pal," Kagome growled, glaring visciously at the silver-haired man. Before Itachi even had the chance to stop her, she grabbed the rosary hanging around Hidan's neck and yanked him face-first down on to the ground. Definitely anger.

"SIT BOY!" The Jashinist crashed to the floor in an inelegant heap, spewing curses the whole way. The Uchiha blinked in surprise at his temporary partner then glanced back at Kagome. She looked incredibly smug.

"That felt great," she sighed, cracking her knuckles and smirking before turning to Itachi with an innocent smile on her face. He sweat dropped.

"That was actually... two words." The Uchiha snapped his mouth shut at the glare she sent him.

_'Note to self: Don't make her angry. There will be consequences.'_ How was it that she still managed to surprise him with displays of unusual strength?

"You... fuckin'... bitch," Hidan muttered, groaning as he picked himself up off the ground and glaring hatefully at the priestess. She merely smiled sweetly and put her small hand on top of his head. She then shoved his face in the dirt again.

"Save it. I've heard worse."

"Are you... serious?" Itachi asked, more curious than angry at the moment. Kagome nodded, messing up Hidan's silver hair in retaliation to him using more swear words. She just knew the ground was getting a great educational lesson today.

"I had a... friend. He had a mouth as bad as this one here," she pointed at the Jashinist, stepping away from him when he moved to trip her with his hand, "He called me all sorts of rude names. I just got used to it after a while."

"You're idea of friends must be real shitty, whore," Hidan spat, wiping his mouth and grinning evilly when Kagome sneered at him. Itachi, however, beat her to the punch. Literally. The silver-haired man groaned as he laid sprawled out on the floor, now with a serious headache. Courtesy of one angry Uchiha.

"Call her names again, Hidan, and I **will** find a way to kill you," the Sharingan user hissed, red eyes swirling in agitation. Kagome put a hand on his arm and shook her head.

"It's no big deal, Itachi. I don't really care if he calls me stupid names," the priestess soothed, patting his arm and smiling brightly. Again, he felt his face heat up, and he looked away. How had they **not** attracted a crowd by now?

"Regardless. It's rude and disrespectful," he replied, huffing at the fact that she wasn't angry at all. This **friend** of hers really must have put her through a lot. He'd happily incapacitate said friend too, if the dark-haired girl would just point him in the right direction.

"Well... I gotta get going. Stop by when you don't have this **nut** with you, okay?" Kagome finally decided to take a little mercy on Hidan, and let him up. She then patted Itachi contentedly on the top of his head, waved goodbye, and spun away to return to whatever it was she'd been up to today. Face heating in embarrassment, he proceeded to drag a smirking Hidan back to base.

"... You let her get away with shit like that?" he muttered, watching the Uchiha intently this time before adding belatedly, "And I'm not a fuckin' nut." His answer was merely a string of unintelligable words that sounded vaguely murderous.

"I will **kill** you if you say one word to **anyone** about that."

The two Akatsuki members were surprisingly silent for most of the return trip back to base and their report to their leader. Just before they parted ways, Itachi to find Kisame and Hidan to do... whatever the hell it was he did in his spare time, though, the Jashinist couldn't resist one last jibe.

"If she dumps your crazy ass, I can kill her for you. Master Jashin would still enjoy her, even if you fuckin' defile her and shit."

It earned him a beautiful black eye.

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A/N: Not quite sure if this turned out the way I wanted it to, but I put the part in that I really wanted to do. The 'sit' part. I'm sure you would all agree with me on it.

Kisame better freakin' run like hell. Itachi's on a war path. And he wants fish for dinner. Hahaha!

Also, **extremely** important notice on my profile. My computer crashed, so I'm borrowing right now. Updates for everything will either be slow or put on hold until I get that situation worked out. Please be patient with me as I deal with this ridiculous crap.

Thanks guys! Hope to see you soon!

Please review! I like those!


	23. Hair Cut

Summary

Kagome convices Itachi to let her trim up his bangs. He gives her a history lesson, and she discovers something that bothers her about him...

A/N: Yayz! Time for another update! And I just thought I'd get this little guy out of the way. So please enjoy!

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Kisame winced when Itachi's fist connected with his jaw. Damn, but his partner was hitting harder than normal today. The blue man had to wonder why the Uchiha was so intensely focused on beating the crap out of him today.

_'Oh yeah. Because Hidan knows about the girl,'_ the shark man thought, dodging a potentially deadly swing from Itachi and snapping a hand behind him. He stopped, though, when the smaller man immediately started going for his shuriken hiding spot. That's right; they'd said no weapons in their sparring match today. The large man huffed and instead swung his hand out to try and literally slap the crap out of the Uchiha. He failed, of course, but it managed to put some distance between them. It was exactly what he'd planned...

Until the Itachi clone behind him reached up and tapped a fist to his jugular.

"You lose, Kisame."

"... That's cheating, you little bastard!" the shark-man snarled, annoyed that he'd fallen into one of his partner's tricks so easily.

"We said no weapons. We never agreed about genjutsu or clones, Kisame," Itachi answered smugly, nudging the taller male's shoulder with a fist before the clone disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"You always find some kind of loophole to do whatever the hell you want, don't you Itachi?" Kisame sighed, rubbing his side where the Uchiha had delivered a particularly viscious kick earlier. The shark man knew he would have several bruises in a few hours. He blinked, wondering something interesting.

"Itachi?" The Sharingan user turned to him, taking care not to wince when it pulled at his shoulder, "Why don't we have a medic?"

Itachi blinked slowly. That... was an excellent question. Why hadn't Pein recruited some sort of medic? It hit him a second later.

"Because no medic in their right mind would want to willingly join the Akatsuki," he replied, shrugging at the defeated look on his blue partner's face and walking away. It was true though. What medic would join them? Briefly, he entertained the idea of Kagome patching everyone up, then discarded the image. He'd never let her do something so reckless. Besides, she wasn't a medic.

She was a priestess.

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Kagome sighed at the less-than-desirable condition Itachi came to her in and opened the door wider.

"Let me guess. Training?"

"Very astute of you," he replied, stepping in smoothly and hanging up his black cloak. She immediately went into mother-hen mode when doing so made him wince slightly.

"You're so careless, Itachi! You need to take better care of yourself!" the priestess chided him, ushering him into the kitchen and sitting him down at a chair. She didn't wait for an answer, and instead pulled the medical kit out from under the sink. Ever since the incident with the knife, not to mention the time he'd let her patch him up after a particularly grueling session with Madara, she'd taken to storing the kit under the kitchen sink. It came in very handy, after all.

"I have yet to die, so I believe I'm doing a capable job," the Uchiha responded quietly, biting his lip when she rubbed antiseptic cream on a cut.

"Right right. So, who beat you up this time?" He hissed in annoyance and grumbled under his breath as she glanced at him in amusement.

"It's called sparring. No one would intentionally attempt to 'beat me up', as you say." Kagome laughed and waved him off, securing a bandage around his arm. He took a moment to hold the end as she began wrapping the cut.

"Well, it makes me wonder, when you come out here all messed up, that someone doesn't try to truss you up a little," she countered, smirking when he glared half-heartedly at her. Finishing that injury, she moved on to the next one. "Anyway, who was it this time?"

"I was sparring with my partner-!" he stopped when she snickered at him, a twitch beginning to develop in one eye, "What. Now."

"Your partner?"

"Yes, my-! That's sick!" He finally connected the dots, flushing in rage and spinning away from the laughing priestess, "If you'd ever met Kisame, you'd never had said such a thing!"

"I'm sorry!" she laughed, clutching her stomach, "but you walked right into that one, Itachi!"

"Not. Amusing," he ground out, avoiding her when she finally calmed down. If this was the abuse he was going to suffer...

"Okay! I'm sorry! I won't do it again!" He slapped a hand to his red face as she pulled his other arm closer. Swiping antiseptic cream on the new injury, he tensed when she smothered a giggle.

"Don't tense up! I'll never get done if you keep squirming!" For the rest of his injuries, he stayed perfectly still, letting her fix him up here and there. When she got to his shoulder, she squinted closely at it then sighed.

"This probably hurts, doesn't it?" He shrugged, agitating the quickly forming bruise, and grit his teeth to keep from wincing.

"It will heal over time." Kagome prodded it gently then narrowed her eyes sharply.

"Let me... try something." She stepped even closer to him and put a hand on the injury. Itachi gulped. She was close enough that he could feel the heat radiating between them. All in all, it was not an unpleasant feeling, but one he didn't need right at the moment.

_'Concentrate, Uchiha. She'd just trying to help you that's... all?"_ Her hand flared brightly with a pink light and she closed her eyes to take a deep breath. What was... she doing? A warming sensation started tingling in his shoulder, washing away the pain and the ache there. Then it slowly swam over the rest of him, filling his with a sense of overall peace and contentment.

He was even breathing a little easier, the pain in his lungs lessening ever so slightly. And whatever she was doing, he never wanted it to stop. Sadly, she couldn't keep the feeling up forever, and the tingling sensation slowly faded until he was left almost breathless in awe.

"Yep. Still got it," Kagome whispered, watching her hand carefully as the glow dimmed and sparked out, smiling sadly in rememberance. Itachi watched the emotions flicker across her face rapidly, inwardly wondering how she was able to feel so much in such a short amount of time.

"That... What was that?" he finally asked, snapping out of his daze and shifting away from her just slightly. Apparently, whatever she'd done had made him lean very close to her. It was a little embarrassing to think that he hadn't even been consciously aware of the act.

She smirked and sauntered away, setting the first aid kit back under the sink. "I'm a priestess, Itachi. I don't just purify stuff. I am capable of healing... to an extent."

"I... see." In a way, it was similar to what a med-nin was able to accomplish. Kagome came back over to him and absently ran a hand through his bangs.

"You should let me trim them up. That way, you can see a little better," she murmured, smiling warmly and patting the top of his head like a child. He gave in, if only to keep her from asking again. She'd been doing so every time he came over to visit recently.

Humming quietly to herself, Kagome set about accomplishing her task. It didn't take very long to trim them up, but she still took the time to thoroughly run her hands through the silky texture cascading down his back. The moment her fingers started running through his hair, he was a boneless heap and completely unwilling to say no to her. How she was able to do it, he had no idea. All he wanted was for her to never stop that.

"Itachi?" He grunted to acknowledge her, and she continued, "Your Sharingan? What is it, exactly?" Now, that was a question he could easily answer. He'd actually been waiting for her to ask about it for some time now, and he had a good answer prepared.

"It is a family trait passed down from generation to generation. It's called the Sharingan because it has the ability to instantly copy any ninja technique. There are other clans that have their own Blood-Line Limit, but mine is specifically born among the Uchiha clan. It is said that the original ancestor was capable of some interesting techniques. Each one is slightly different, as it accomodates to the user. Mine, for example, is highly genjutsu-based. It's a technique that I use more often than not." At her confused look, he proceeded to explain. "Genjutsu is an illusionary technique. It allows the user to control the senses of their opponent, making them believe they are seeing, hearing, even feeling something that isn't real."

"That's... pretty interesting," she replied, blinking in thought then getting an odd look on her face, "Have you ever tried to use it on someone that couldn't be affected by illusions?"

"There has never been anyone that could not be affected by the Sharingan in some way or another," he answered, furrowing his brows slightly.

"Well... I don't know if I'm affected by it or not, but I am a priestess. See, I have this rare thing where I'm immune to illusions," Kagome explained softly, ducking her head subconsciously at deliberately revealing such an important thing, "I don't really know how to explain why I can, but it comes in handy when I need it."

The Uchiha's dark eyes narrowed sharply. The way she put it made it sound like someone had deliberately **tried** to put her in a genjutsu before. And as soon as he found out who, he was going to kill them. "That's... something I'd like to test out someday, if you don't mind playing along?"

She glanced up at him, noting the gleam in his eyes and nodded shyly. "Okay. If it might help you, I wouldn't mind."

Subconsciously, he filed away the extremely important information about the dark-haired girl. If what she said was actually true, maybe he could adapt a way to become unaffected by Madara's genjustu. Maybe even block the Magekyou to an extent.

That would be worth considering. Especially if he could get an edge on the older Uchiha.

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"It's a nice day today," Kagome commented offhandedly, shading her eyes against the bright sun and watching her breath puff away from them. Even though it was still cold, the late February afternoon was bright and had the first beginnings of spring. He nodded and "Hnn"ed in agreement. It was a fairly nice day today.

"Hey Itachi? When the snow melts, what does it become?" He gave her an odd look and had to wonder at the goofy grin on her face.

"Water."

"Nope! It becomes spring!"

"No. When snow melts, it turns into water, Kagome," he countered, raising a brow at the black look she sent him.

"No it doesn't! It's spring when the snow melts away!" she argued, glaring when he shook his head.

"You're wrong. When winter melts, it becomes spring. When snow melts, it's water. Your confusing seasons and science," the Uchiha stated blandly, stepping to the side when she reached over to try and slug him.

Kagome huffed, growling weakly at him before finally turning away to try and ignore him. He stopped himself from snorting at the childish display and instead messed her hair up in retaliation.

"Itachi!" she whined, angrily trying to pat down her frazzled hair.

"I have to go." She stopped suddenly, and gazed up at him with huge sad eyes. Damn, but she was hard to resist when she did that!

"Already?"

"... Sorry," he replied, avoiding her searching eyes and trying to make their goodbye as painless as possible. She, of course, ruined it by colliding with him in a crushing hug. For a moment, he was frozen in shock. Then, when she'd rested her head against his chest, he snapped out of it and awkwardly held her back.

The priestess's brows furrowed and she resisted the urge to pull away and stare at his chest. Something... His heart sounded... off. Shaking herself out of it, she savored the moment for just a little longer.

"Be careful, okay? And come back soon!" Kagome whispered, raising up on her toes and kissing him on the cheek. His face was dark red in about two seconds.

"R-Right." How the hell was he supposed to keep from getting even more attached when she did stuf like that? Disentangling himself from her, he started back to base before he made an even bigger fool of himself than he'd already done.

_'How is it that she can affect me so much? I just... don't understand,'_ he thought, putting a hand to his cheek and remembering how soft her mouth had felt against it. He proceeded to physically slap himself.

"Get it together, Uchiha. You're not going down that road." Nodding to himself, he made his way slowly back to the hideout. The truth was, he was honestly afraid that he was already halfway down that particular road.

He'd made a vow to himself though. His brother was the most important thing to him. Everything else had no place in his plans.

Too bad fate was deciding differently.

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A/N: And little bit by little bit, they're learning a little more about eachother as they grow a little closer. Thanks for being so patient, everyone! I'm glad you've stuck with me on this so far!

Did you guys see that blatant line I stole from Fruits Basket (Furuba)? Did you also see where I butchered the possible romance? I blame Itachi. He's really got no clue when it comes to sweet moments, does he?

Please kindly leave a review. They inspire me to continue working.


	24. Barrier

Summary

Even though she tries to do the right thing, it doesn't mean he has to like it. At all.

A/N: All right guys! This chapter, I believe, is the start of the turning point towards the end. It's going to start getting more serious and a little less fun. For some reason, even though I had it planned out practically to a T, this chapter was unusually hard for me to get down on paper. I hope you guys are ready! Let's go!

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Itachi sighed quietly and deftly mavuevered around the roots sticking up in the forest he traveled. The road was one he'd become very attuned to. He was sure, by now, that he could navigate it with his eyes closed.

He hated to admit it, but he felt like he'd neglected Kagome recently. It had been nearly three weeks after the incident with Hidan, and though things weren't really overly busy at the hideout, and the fact that he'd had the chance to see her once since then, he'd avoided visiting too often for the sheer fact that Madara had been keeping an unusually close eye on him.

He didn't like it. At all. It made the Uchiha feel like the older male was up to something.

Muttering under his breath about lack of freedom in general, he stepped onto the main path and headed in the direction of Kagome's home. He then got a little sidetracked when a large crowd caught his attention. They all seemed to be gathered... around...

Where was the orphanage? And why was there smoke coming in the direction of where it was supposed to be? Thinking that if something had happened to the children, and knowing Kagome would be there if there was a problem, he re-routed himself and headed that way.

He wasn't disappointed. But he was inwardly shocked. It looked as though the large building had been burnt to the ground. What the hell had happened while he was gone?

_'I know I thought about it, but I'd never actually go through with burning down the place,'_ the Uchiha thought, hurrying to the scene with a sense of forboding. If it was gone... had Kagome been there when it happened?

Before he could really get his imagination going, he spotted her consoling a little blonde girl. Oh, he recognized the kid immediately. Shizuka, though, had lost all airs of playfulness in her. Instead, she looked incredibly upset.

Striding up to the two girls, he cleared his throat awkwardly and put a hand on top of Kagome's head. "Hey."

She glanced up at him, gave him a watery smile and a nod, and went back to calming down the little blonde. "Hey yourself. You've been gone a while." The priestess spoke quietly, so as not to scare the eight year old. "I was worried."

"I had some... things to take care of. When... did this happen?"

"Last night. I came as soon I heard about it. By the time we got everyone out, there wasn't a lot we could do," she replied, moving her gaze to the dilapidated ruins, "It just... kept burning." She shivered; whether from being cold or the thought of the flames consuming the building, he wasn't sure.

"What about workers? Didn't they try to save it?"

"We tried. It was a kitchen mishap, and the whole building was made of wood," she answered, rubbing a hand through her tangled hair. She looked very tired, and he almost gave into the urge to tell her to go home and sleep before she fell over from exhaustion.

Kagome sighed and patted Shizuka gently on the back. Itachi stood by, unsure of what to do. The little girl was obviously upset about losing her home again. It was something he could sort of relate to. But his situation was very different than hers.

"I know it's hard right now, Shizuka. I can't even promise that things will get better, because I don't know if they will or not," the priestess murmured, pulling away so that she could cup the child's tear-stained cheeks. "But, no matter what, you just have to be strong. You'll see; there's a reason these things happen. Maybe we just need to remember that and think of all the happy things." The little blonde girl sniffled enormously and nodded, trying very hard to be brave for her 'Big Sister'.

"Miss Kagome!" One of the workers hurried up to her and explained something in rushed tones to the priestess. The Sharingan user next to her did not like the way she paled suddenly and nodded rapidly. It made the dark circles under her eyes stand out.

"All right. I'll be there in a minute," she replied, standing and steering Shizuka towards the rest of the orphan children. Itachi followed quietly, a faint sense of nausea growing in his stomach at the determined glint in Kagome's blue eyes. She was planning something.

"What do they need you for that requires your attention so?" he asked, almost dreading the answer. His stomach twisted at the wary look she threw him.

"I... There's... There's still a little boy trapped in the orphanage. They found him, but no one can get to him through the hole they found. I'm..." she gulped, then leveled him with a look, "I'm the smallest adult in the group, so I'm going in there and getting him out."

"No." His reply was sharp and immediate. She knew this was going to happen.

"But Itachi-!"

"Absolutely not!" the former heir hissed, grabbing her by the shoulders and stopping her. He whipped her around to face her and gave her a look so cold, she shivered from it, "Are you insane! That's like walking straight into a trap! Never!"

She lowered her head in submission, an act that she'd never done before in his prescence, and took a deep calming breath. She knew he'd be against the idea, knew that he was just trying to protect her, but the vehement dislike rolling off of him at the thought almost made her sick. Intense emotions that the tendency to do that to her sometimes. Especially when they were negative.

"Itachi... What if..." she hated that she was about to play this card, but knew that she didn't really have a choice in the matter. Not when there was a young life hanging in the balance, "What if that boy was your brother?"

The Uchiha reared back as though she'd slapped him physically. How dare she-!

"What if that was my brother?" She looked up at him then, tears swimming in her blue eyes, "Would you say no then?"

"I would not," he finally answered after a few moments, sighing in defeat, "But the fact is, you're risking your life for a complete stranger. I... I don't like it."

"I know," the priestess smiled grimly, reaching up and patting his cheek, "But I'm a priestess, Itachi. I can't just stand by and do nothing. It's in the job description. Right next to 'guard sacred artifacts from being used wrongfully'." Itachi blinked in confusion.

"... What?" Her eyes widened in surprise and she slapped a hand over her mouth far too late.

"Ummm... Oops?"

"You... You will tell me about that. Later; once all of **this** is over." He gave her a look that brooked no argument whatsoever, and she found herself nodding meekly despite the protests going on inside her head. **Why** had she let that slip out?

"I... It's a really long... story," she responded hesitantly, gulping at the curious fire in his dark eyes.

"I am a patient man," Itachi countered, crossing his arms over his chest and watching her closely, "I can wait."

_'Yeah right. Patient my ass,'_ he mused inwardly; he wanted to know **now**. He immediately became antsy again when she glanced at the burned-down orphanage.

She nodded and swallowed again, this time in apprehension as she met his gaze again. "Right. I... need to go."

He didn't like it at all, but he finally nodded and stepped away from her. "If you..." She turned and looked back at him, the question clear in her eyes. "If you need me... just call."

"... Okay," Kagome whispered, a steely glint in her blue eyes and determination settling in her features. For a moment, she looked so much older and wiser than she was. It made him want to... but no. That was a foolish way of thinking. Impossible to even consider.

_'Besides, I have nothing to offer her. I'm not long for this world, after all.'_ It was a grim way of thinking, but the last thing he needed was to even attempt any possible kind of relationship with anyone. And look where that way of thinking had brought him to. Waiting impatiently for her to return to him.

And then she walked away quickly, not once looking back, and hoping that he'd let her do this. If not for herself, then for the little boy trapped in the orphanage.

Then again, she didn't really need to worry. Even if he didn't like it, he'd give her the freedom to make her own decisions. And then he'd probably follow her anywhere. Even to the ends of the earth. If only to make sure she didn't get killed along the way.

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Crawling into the tiny hole the workers had found had been nothing short of embarrassing. She thanked fate that when she'd hurried out the door last night, she'd had the sense to throw on a pair of jeans instead of a skirt. Now, with her rear wiggling in the air, she inwardly thanked Itachi too. She could definitely feel more than a few stares as she scrambled into the hole and knew the ninja would not let her be taken advantage of in such a vunerable position.

He was very protective of her like that for some reason. It was really sweet of him. Huffing and puffing, she finally made it inside of the wrecked building. Standing up, she didn't even bother brushing the dirt and soot off of her, knowing it would be completely pointless. The most important thing was to find the kid.

"I'm in!" she shouted back, hoping the people on the outside would hear her.

"Good! I think he's nearby there! Just find him and get him out!" the worker near the hole shouted back to her, and she nodded subconsciously. When she realized he couldn't see her she responded with a loud "Okay!" and began to survey her surroundings. Nothing was recognizable to her anymore. The once clean and neat temporary home for the war orphans was now a hovel of sadness and dirty walls. A rat scurried by and she shivered. That hadn't taken very long.

"Okay. Gotta find the kid," the priestess muttered to herself, setting out and carefully manuevering around the fallen beams and crumbled walls. She vaguely recognized charred remains of chairs and toys, and she sniffled in sadness. This was so terrible! Kagome called here and there for the lost boy; and at first, she got no response. But as she got a little closer to the center, she heard the unmistakable sound of sniffling.

"Hello? Are you there?" the priestess called, turning the corner. She was immediately bowled over by a small body, and she knelt down to shush the boy as he cried into her shirt. "Shhhh. It's okay now! You're going to be fine!"

The brown-haired child nodded and looked up at her with huge watery brown eyes. "You're... Miss Kagome, right?"

"That's right! Now what's your name, sweetie?" she nodded, smiling happily and rubbing some of the dirt from his hair. The boy sniffled and muttered "Hiro" quietly to her.

"That's a good name, Hiro-kun! Now, let's get out of here," the time traveler answered, wiping a sooty smudge from the child's pudgy cheek, "Everyone's waiting for us, so let's go!" He nodded, smiling smally at the enthusiastic tone that she took. It took them almost no time at all to get back to the hole, and even less time to convice the boy to go ahead of her. She didn't like the possibility of being stuck in the rickety building, but her main focus was Hiro. He'd stopped several times, afraid of the small space he was crawling through, but she conitnued to encourage him to keep moving. It was the best idea, after all. What if the space really did collapse?

"You're okay, Hiro-kun! You're almost there!" Kagome encouraged the boy to keep going, "Don't give up!"

"Miss Kagome! What about you?" the brunette asked, glancing back at the older girl. He was really worried about her. What if the roof collapsed before she got out?

"I'll be fine, Hiro! Just keep going," the priestess smiled brightly, even though inside, she was quivering in fear. Hiro turned and crawled forward several more feet before shouting in happiness.

"I see the end!"

"Good job! You're almost there!" Something snapped behind her and she whipped around. Another support beam had just fallen, and the entire ceiling swayed dangerously. Kagome let out a whimper. She didn't want to be buried alive!

"Miss Kagome! We've got Hiro! Your turn! Hurry!" the worker shouted, drawing her attention again.

"Okay! I'm... I'm coming!" the dark-haired girl shouted, crawling towards the hole and starting to scoot in.

Meanwhile, Itachi paced rapidly on the other side, worry wearing a hole in his brain. Logically, Kagome was the smallest adult, thereby the best option to go in and get the child. On the other hand, the acid slowly creeping into his throat at the thought of her being in so much danger was making him incredibly antsy.

"I-Itachi-nii-san?" He looked down, a snarl beginning to form on his face. Shizuka's large blue eyes stared back up at him in fear, and all the fight suddenly left him. The little girl was just as afraid as he was. She was just better able to show it, while he'd been trained harshly to never let his fears show. Kneeling down, he patted the girl on top of the head.

"She'll be okay. Kagome is a strong girl," he replied to her unanswered question, alleviateing the child's fears somewhat and making his heart slow in confidence. He whipped his head around, though, when he heard something snap loudly.

"MISS KAGOME! GET OUT OF THERE!"

A long shrill scream was all they got in reply as one of the floors tumbled in on the small priestess. He was on his feet and by the hole too quickly for a normal civilian. He also found that he didn't really care if these people found out he was a ninja.

"KAGOME!" But of course, shouting wouldn't help. Starting forward, he grabbed the nearest plank of wood and started pulling. A hand on his arm stopped him and he turned to level an icy glare at the one who would dare keep him from saving his Kagome.

"Y-Y-You can't! What if you p-p-pull something and the r-rest collapse-ses!" the worker stuttered, shuddering in fear under the almost crimson glare of the fomer heir, "For all w-we know, she could still b-b-be alive! Do you want to ruin any possible ch-chance?" He had to walk away right then; preferably before he punched the guy. The fool was right, of course, but it didn't mean he wanted to agree with him.

"Stay where you are, Miss Kagome! We're going to try and dig you out!" another worker shouted. Itachi snorted and turned away. Like hell he was just going to sit there and do nothing. As he began to leave though, a small hand tugged harshly on his pant-leg. Glancing down, he took note of the dirty little boy that had crawled out of the orphanage and Shizuka holding tightly to his pants.

"Itachi-nii! Where are you going?" the little blonde girl asked in between sobs. He knelt down and gathered the two children to him. Leaning in, he whispered quietly to them.

"I'm going to find another way in," he replied, smirking at the awestruck looks he received, "I refuse to leave her in there, so I'm going to bring her back." The children nodded rapidly at the determined edge to his voice as it bolstered their low spirits, "But I have to go by myself. Kagome would never forgive me if the two of you got hurt. I need you to wait here, and I'll come back with her, okay?"

"Okay," the boy whispered, clutching Shizuka's hand and pulling her away from him. The eight year old girl thought carefully, then gave him an incredibly shrewd look. He couldn't believe such a small person was capable of such a glare.

"If you don't come back with her, I'll be really angry," Shizuka growled in what was supposed to be an intimidating way, even though tears were still leaking out of her blue eyes. Itachi had to suppress the urge to laugh at her. She was trying so hard to be a grown-up that it was ridiculous.

"I will. I promise." With that, he stood and walked into the shadows. Shizuka watched him carefully, and her jaw dropped when he flipped through a series of hand signs that she'd seen several ninjas do before simply disappearing in a puff of smoke.

_'Itachi-nii is a ninja?'_ she thought, her throat going immediately dry at the thought of shinobi in general. She was terrified of them; they'd stolen her family away and landed her in an orphanage, after all. Then, she thought about the times that Itachi had been around Kagome, and her fear subsided. Itachi was a ninja. But he was a good one. Otherwise, she was sure the priestess wouldn't like him so much.

And she believed that with all her little heart.

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It took very little time for him to locate a back way in, but even then, with the edgy atttitude radiating off of him, he felt it had taken far too long. Navigating his way easily around the charred remains, he activated the highest level of his Sharingan without melding it into the Mangekyou. He hadn't needed to worry, though. Even from several rooms away, he could easily detect the bright glow of Kagome's strange chakra. It seemed to be... surrounding her?

Hurrying quickly, he ducked low through a broken down doorway and came into the room Kagome was sitting in. Her body was surrounded by a bright pink dome that flared immediately when a piece of the ceiling collapsed roughly onto it. The priestess shrieked inside and covered her head pathetically.

"Kagome? It's okay!" He rushed forward, coming as close as he dared to the light around her. In fact, the dome was acting like... a barrier. Her head shot up, tears streaming from her blue eyes and down her sooty cheeks.

"Itachi," the dark-haired girl breathed, hope blossoming in her eyes and wiping the fear from them. It made his heart swell to know that he could chase that fear away just by being there, "What are you doing in here?"

"Looking for you, of course," he replied gruffly, avoiding her gaze and willing the heat from his face when she smiled gently at him.

"I'm... really glad you're here." Putting the pleasantries aside for the moment, he let loose on what had really caught his attention.

"What... is this?" He'd never seen anything like it! Not even the barrier squads in Konoha were capable of something so... structured. Let alone one person being able to handle the kind of strain it took to erect one.

"It's... a barrier. I guess... when the floor collapsed, I just reacted and put it up," Kagome replied, shrugging as she watched him move carefully around the sides he was capable of getting to.

"It's... quite amazing, Kagome," Itachi countered, kneeling down and hesitating to touch it, "Will it be all right if I touched it?"

"I'm... not sure. You can try," she answered, gulping silently when his fingers got close and a sizzle started up. He glanced up sharply at her, Sharingan eyes whirling in excitement.

"You must tell me more about this after we get out of here," the former heir demanded quietly. He needed to know about what this type of barrier was capable of. Perhaps... it could be of some major use to him in the future.

Kagome licked dry lips and nodded at him. Itachi held out a hand to check the consistency of her barrier. But right as he touched it, the priestess realized something.

"Itachi! Don't-!" Her purification powers surged up, perceiving the Uchiha to be a threat, and blasted him through the wall and into the next room in a showy display of light and energy.

"ITACHI!"

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A/N: Annnnd CLIFFHANGER! Holy crap! I can't believe I'm doing this. I'm a little evil, aren't I?

So, anyways, please leave a review and let me know what you think! Until next time!


	25. Transport

Summary

In which Itachi gets to play the hero again and Kagome figures out a little bit more about the Sharingan's history...

A/N: Oh. My. God. When I saw that I hit the 500 review mark, I immediately squealed like a little girl, ran around the house twice, giggled like a maniac, and fanned myself dramatically. I then proceeded to faint. You guys are so amazing! I can't believe how many reviews I've gotten! I love you all very very much right now. And I just want to take a moment to say thank you! All of you! Everyone has been so unbelievably kind to me on here, and it's a major inspiration to continue writing because of that. Thank you!

All right everyone! Now that that's out of the way, this is an immediate continuation from Chapter 24. So it picks up right where we left off last time. I'll even put a re-cap, which I usually **never** do. But I'm being nice today. Okay, now go read!

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**Re-Cap**

_"It's... quite amazing, Kagome," Itachi countered, kneeling down and hesitating to touch it, "Will it be all right if I touched it?" _

_"I'm... not sure. You can try," she answered, gulping silently when his fingers got close and a sizzle started up. He glanced up sharply at her, Sharingan eyes whirling in excitement. _

_"You must tell me more about this after we get out of here," the former heir demanded quietly. He needed to know about what this type of barrier was capable of. Perhaps... it could be of some major use to him in the future. _

_Kagome licked dry lips and nodded at him. Itachi held out a hand to check the consistency of her barrier. But right as he touched it, the priestess realized something. _

_"Itachi! Don't-!" Her purification powers surged up, perceiving the Uchiha to be a threat, and blasted him through the wall and into the next room in a showy display of light and energy. _

_"ITACHI!" _

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The Uchiha in question groaned, dislodging himself from the pile of rubble his body had created. He felt like he'd been hit by a train. Repeatedly.

"Bad... idea."

"Itachi? Say something! Please!" Kagome's voice carried hysterically from the other room, bringing the former heir back into focus. Was she that worried about him? It was... strange. And more than slightly pleasing. No one had ever really worried about him in probably close to ten years. At least, not since he first became a genin.

"I'm fine, Kagome. Just a little..." he didn't really know another word to use at the moment, "surprised." It seemed that his brains had been temporarily scrambled too. Gritting his teeth to keep from muttering curses, he lifted himself off of the ground and stumbled slightly to the left... into another wall.

_'Why am I so uncoordinated?_ He glanced at the new hole he'd made in the wall and could have smack himself, _' Okay, next question. What the hell did that thing do to me?'_

"I'm so sorry! But I don't have very much control over it right now because I'm scared!" her words echoed back to him, the note of terror only slightly lessened, "I... I'm afraid I might have purified you."

_'... What?'_

"**What**?" Getting most of his bearings back a moment later, he made his way back into the room Kagome was trapped in without running into anything. When he was once again in front of her, he knelt down ot her eye level and let loose his question, "What do you mean purify, Kagome?"

She looked away, guilt in her blue eyes, before she took a deep breath and began to explain, "Your family... You said the Sharingan is passed down from generation to generation, right?" At his nod, she continued, "See, I've been reading about blood-line traits recently, and several of them are said to be descended from the original first founder. There's a good chance that that's a demon host."

Itachi sucked in a breath. He'd heard about the possibility, but hadn't really given it thought. If she was implying what he thought she was going to imply... then he'd just royally screwed himself.

"Well, I'm pretty sure your clan is descended from what's known as the Tengu. Even though, they're very bird-like... well... your eyes are the give-away."

"That is correct. There were many tengu placed in the Uchiha district. I had originally thought it was for another purpose, however, what you are hinting at..."

"I've seen a tengu only once before. They're... terrifying. Your clan's eyes and your ability to manipulate fire... they're the remaining demonic traits that you inherited from it. I... I'm afraid I might have purified them." The priestess hid her face in her hands in remorse, tears dripping from the corners of her fingers. "I'm so sorry! I didn't realize it until right before you touched the barrier!"

"... Kagome. It's..." Well, it **wasn't** okay, but it could be dealt with. In fact, on the downside that she **had** purified the Sharingan and his chakra, the upside would be the Akatsuki would no longer have much of a use for him. The downside to **that** was that Pein would probably just kill him.

Okay, so it was a lose-lose situation.

Immediately he turned away from her, going through the motions of creating the Fireball Jutsu. Sucking in a breath, he felt the tingle of his chakra stir to life and weakly supply him with enough to light a small fire. It wasn't much; but it also meant she hadn't purified him completely.

"You... You can still use your justu?" Kagome asked, awe filling her at the controlled stream of fire that Itachi poured from his mouth. He stopped, catching his breath and turning a smug smirk onto the priestess. Of course she was amazed. She hadn't seen him do very many jutsu before.

"I'll need to rework everything to get it back to where I was, but I think with time, I'll be fine, Kagome," the Uchiha announced, shifting his hands quickly through the signs to slowly activate his Sharingan. The lowest stage came to him easily, and he upgraded to the next. This one also came easily, so he moved on to the next. Here, though, he was hit by an almost barrier, preventing him from accessing the third stage of his Sharingan. Kneeling next to the priestess, he looked her in the eyes and took a slow breath.

"How many tomoe do you see?"

She gave a slow perusal of his red eyes, almost seeming fascinated by the lazy way they spun. It was definitely a slightly hypnotic effect, one that he didn't fail to notice. She gulped, though, when she noticed something different than the last time she'd taken a good look at them. And that had been when he'd tried to scare her off.

"... Two," she whispered, shaking in fear at the thought of him being angry with her. He had every right to be, after all. She'd just put a huge limitation on him by purging a good chunk of his powers.

He was prepared for her answer, but not for the massive hit to his pride at losing several levels of his Sharingan almost instantly. But then, he was quickly coming up with a way to reaccess those abilities. After all, he was going to need as much of his arsenal as possible if he was going to pull off his plan to get her out.

"I'm so sorry-!"

"It's fine. Their not... gone, per say. I think you did something else aside from a purification." At her confused look, he tried to elaborate without getting her completely lost. "I can still feel the power there. I just can't access it currently." Her eyes clouded over as she thought hard about what he said and tried to piece the possibilties together. When she brightened, he knew she had an answer.

"I get it! I think when I pulled back as much of my power as I could at the last second, instead of purifying you, I put a seal on some of your more dangerous abilities. Like a pin in a grenade to keep it from exploding. And when you pull it, it takes a few seconds for it to go off!"

Okay, now **he** was the one confused. What the **hell** was a grenade? It sounded... vaguely dangerous.

"Well... I need to break that seal in order to get you out," Itachi decided, rising to his feet and striding away rapidly, "I'm going to try and draw out my chakra. I hope you're not afraid of fire." When she shook her head no, he lazily flipped through several hand signs and drew a deep breath.

_"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"_

Letting out a constant stream of fire, he counted slowly with how long he was able to keep the stream going. Which was a while. It was something he was pretty proud of. He then cut the flames off abruptly and started sptting out small balls to float around him. It was still incredibly easy, what with his perfect chakra control. Not a bit of his strained energy was wasted needlessly, and soon the pressure he put on the barrier collapsed, allowing him access to his Sharingan's next level. He felt his eyes shift to re-accommidate the third tomoe. Finally, he felt almost completely normal.

Now, it was time for the hard part. Re-opening the path to the Mangekyou. He could feel it hovering there just out of his reach, however, it was blocked by an even stronger barrier than the last. It was one that he'd have to force through when the right time came.

First, though, he needed to break Kagome out of her self-made prison.

"Is there a way to break your barrier?" he asked, allowing his Sharingan to fade. He had an intersting theory he wanted to test.

"I... I'm not sure. I've never had to test it before," she replied hesitantly, flinching when he came close and knelt down in front of her. When he reached a hand out, though, she thought she would freak out.

"Don't! Do you **want** me to accidentally purify you again?"

"I have a theory, Kagome," the Uchiha countered, holding his hand a few inches away. Nothing happened, solidifying his idea, "If what you say is true about my bloodline, then I believe that if my Sharingan is active, it calls forth the obviously demonic properties in my blood, thereby fueling a higher possibility of being purified. However," he laid a hand on the barrier, and apart from a tingling sensation in his arm and a tiny, almost warning shock, nothing happened, "if I do not use it, I can trick your energy into thinking I'm completely human, or at least not a threat to you."

"Itachi..." Kagome whispered, staring at the smug looking Uchiha in awe, "That's amazing!"

"I thought it would be interesting to test. After all, you healed me before, and I wasn't harmed in any way," he shrugged, inwardly glowing in the praise that was radiating off of the priestess, "I also did not have the Sharingan active. Now, tell me about your barrier. There must be a weak point somewhere."

She explained to him all about the barriers that holy persons were able to create and use to the best of her ability. It was something that the priestess wished she'd been a little more thorough on when she was learning about them. She even told him, in a story format, about the time that Miroku and Kaede had put one up to hide Inuyasha away when he'd been injured, and he'd thrown her into the well to protect her. That had been the time she'd been unable to get back to Feudal Era. If it hadn't been for Shippo crawling into the well with that chunk of the Shikon no Tama, she was sure she'd have never gotten back.

She also told him about the time Inuyasha had been on the verge of transforming and Miroku had activated a powerful barrier to seal the hanyou and himself off from attacking everyone else. Unfortunately, their silver-haired friend had proved too strong to be contained.

While she talked, the Uchiha prowled around the pink dome, testing its repelling effects here and there. Without his Sharingan active, though, he couldn't pinpoint an exact weak spot. It was difficult work, but he'd managed to narrow down a hanful of possibilites of where to attack.

"These stories... You make them sound like you were there yourself," Itachi mused quietly, carefully watching her for a reaction. She didn't disappoint him when she flushed darkly and wouldn't meet his gaze, "You have nothing to fear, Kagome. I will not tell anyone if they are true."

_'Yeah, but you wouldn't believe me if I did,'_ she thought, swallowing at the glow in his dark eyes and shaking her head silently. He let it go, more concerned for her safety rather than clues to unravelling her mysteries. Inwardly, though, he filed the information away to bring up at a later date. Diving into his weapons pouch, he felt around for a weapons scroll, fingers brushing against an exploding tag. Would something like that work? But no, he didn't want to blow up the place!

"I'm going to try something, Kagome. Don't be alarmed if one of them gets through. I'm not aiming for you," the Sharingan user stated, pulling out the scroll and flipping it open quickly.

"One of what?" she asked, blinking when dozens of sharp pointy objects appeared around the dark haired male. Kagome gulped and unconsciously strengthened her defenses. When she locked gazes with him, his eyes were that piercing red again, the black tomoe whirling lazily in anticipation.

"Trust me." And she did.

He leapt into the air, firing his weapons at her barrier quickly and efficiently, Sharingan eyes tracking the movement of every projectile. With each kunai and shuriken that bounced off, he grit his teeth and threw harder, faster, hoping to catch a weak spot just-

One kunai zipped through, missing Kagome's nose by inches. She gasped, covered her nose, and backed away from the center quickly. Dropping everything, he rushed to the spot that the small blade had made contact... and subsequently slipped through. Remembering to deactivate his Sharingan, he place his hand on the spot, feeling it literally reverberate with remorse at letting something in. He smirked.

"Got it."

"Thank God." In the next moment, she'd put her hand against his, her face inches from his and unconsciously mimicking him. If it weren't for the pink dome, he could have leaned in and bumped foreheads with her. "Now what?"

"I need you to step back. I'm coming in," he replied, testing the surface and finding much less resistance than before. She scooted back, watching intently as he gathered his chakra to put up a fight with her stubborn barrier. It was amusing, then, when he pushed against it and he tumbled in harmlessly. Blinking in shock, the former hair shot up and looked around. Kagome muffled her laughter and he turned his confuse gaze back to her.

"What..."

"I guess... you're in!" She burst into loud guffaws and slapped a hand on the ground, "The look on your face was priceless! It was all 'What the hell just happened!'" After calming down, she smiled at him and patted the spot next to her. He sat without a fight.

"It put up much less of a fight than I thought," Itachi grumbled, the images of shattering the dome and sweeping her out of the orphanage crumbling around him. Damn him for trying to play the hero and looking like an idiot! It just wasn't fair!

"Well... now what?" Kagome asked, smacking herself inwardly for all the questions. She was supposed to be in expert in this field, and yet, Itachi was the one figuring everything out.

"Now we leave." Taking her hand, he pushed against the barrier... and felt his stomach drop when it repelled him. _'Well... shit.'_

"What's wrong?" Now, she sounded panicked, and the last thing he wanted was a twitchy priestess on his hands.

"It's not letting us through."

"Oh... great," the girl muttered, glaring at the spot he'd just come through, then turning a questioning gaze onto the Uchiha, "I don't get it. Why would it let you through but not let you back out? Is it because you're trying to get me out too?"

He opened his mouth to reply, but the ceiling overhead rumbled and several beams came crashing down on them. She shrieked and hid against him while he watched as they were buried alive. The only thing that had saved them was Kagome's barrier.

"This is bad. There's no way out," he murmured, running a hand absently through Kagome's tanlged hair to try and soothe her. It only seemed to help a little because she wasn't letting go of the tight grip on his shirt, nor was she willing to back out of his personal space. Not that he minded the pretty girl being in his lap, but it was hard to think when she was curled up on him in fear.

"What... what do we do then?" she whispered, raising her head to lock gazes with him. Tears tracked down her cheeks and he bit the inside of his cheek and clenched the hand at his side to stop himself from wiping them away. A moment later, he was hit with an idea. It would be incredibly risky, and he wasn't a hundred percent sure he'd be able to pull it off, but it was their last resort at this point. Kagome took note of the gleam that had entered the Uchiha's eyes and knew he'd come up with a plan.

"I think I know a way to get out." She nodded and waited for him to continue, "I'll need absolute concentration. I also need you to try and hold your barrier back from purifying me, if you can."

"O... Okay. I'll do my best, Itachi. But... how are we going to get out?" He'd shut his eyes and had started to pry open the path to the Mangekyou. Sparks began to shoot around them, and Kagome held out her hands to pull the urge back to immediately purify.

Struggling for several more minutes, he finally managed to crack the barrier surrounding the next level of his Sharingan and it shattered when the powers rushed back to him, almost unbalancing him. When he caught his breath back, he centered himself and began to pull on that feeling that Madara had been trying to teach him.

"We're going. Hang on and don't let go of me," he whispered, right before he activated the Mangekyou and he pulled them into another dimension. The barrier that had surrounded them flickered violently without its master to sustain it, and collapsed.

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She thought she was going to be sick, so she clung to him that much harder. Everything was twisting and turning around them, and if Itachi didn't hurry up and fix it, she wasn't going to be responsible for the contents of her stomach ending up everywhere. She felt something shift and almost click, and they hit the ground. Hard. In fact, she was sure she'd have bruises later from the impact. Itachi groaned somwhere in their pile of limbs and shifted to try and sit up.

_'Why does weird stuff always happen to me? Am I just fate's favorite punching bag or something?'_ Kagome thought, huffing in annoyance and groaning out loud when that irritated her already sensitive stomach.

"Are... you okay?" Itachi's voice was somewhere near her shoulder and she glanced down at him. The Uchiha looked as bad as she felt. Not only was he exhausted from his earlier almost-purification, but the color had been leeched from his cheeks and he looked incredibly dizzy.

"Y-yeah. I'm okay," she managed to reply before slapping a hand over her mouth. She was going to be sick. Right now. Scrambling away from the Sharingan weilder, she made it to the nearest bushes before emptying her stomach. She hated throwing up. It was so... distgusting.

Hands rubbed her back and held her hair away from her face; she honestly wanted to cry. She never wanted him to see her like this. To see her so... weak.

"It's all right. It'll pass soon," Itachi murmured, then added painfully, "I'm sorry. I should have given you a better warning." She just shook her head and gagged reflexively.

"Not... your... fault." It took her a few moments to get herself together, but she finally sighed when everything stopped spinning and slumped bonelessly into his arms. "What... was that?"

"... Space-Time Jutsu." She gave him a look that screamed 'Say what?', then sighed quietly.

"Well... It sucked."

"I've only ever used it without passing out immediately afterwards twice now," the Sharingan user replied, shaking his head roughly when things started blurring together, "and honestly, I'm not completely sure that I won't pass out right now." Kagome stiffened and turned to gather the unsteady Uchiha close.

"I'm sorry. I didn't even think about what kind of side affects you were suffering right now," she apologized, guiding his head to rest gently on her shoulder. Somehow, she was keeping the world from spinning around him. And though it wasn't in his normal attitude, he didn't mind in the least that he let her baby him for a little while; at least until he got his bearings back. It didn't really help that, despite being covered in dirt and soot, she still smelled good to him.

"It's fine. We'll work on refining your skills later. I think I'm going to teach you a few things too," he sighed, melting into her when she ran her hands through his hair, "Definitely ninjutsu, if you're up to it." He felt her nod and shut his mouth suddenly. He felt like he was going to be sick. Holding still, he waited for the nausea to pass. How Madara was able to initiate the Space-Time Jutsu without barfing on everything was a complete mystery to him.

Kagome furrowed her brows in concern and smoothed down his dark hair absently as they sat in the clearing. The sun glimmered off of something shiny and her attention focused on that. Ah, yes. She'd always wondered about the odd ring he constantly wore. Shifting slightly she brought the hand it was on up for a closer inspection, absently noting a chip in his nail polish.

"Itachi?" A grunt was her reply and she took it as a 'please do continue', "What's this ring for? It's very neat." He stiffened just slightly in alarm before giving up and relaxing against her again. It almost seemed pointless to keep his secrets now. She knew plenty about him already, and yet, he was just a little afraid.

Excitement filled him, though, when he remembered the conversation they'd had right before this whole mess began. The thought of unravelling the mystery around the cheerful priestess hugging him sent his heart beating faster with adrenaline.

"Tracking."

"How do you track with it?"

"Not for tracking," he sighed, shifting his head so that his breath fanned warmly against her neck, "It's a tracking device. It's so... Leader-sama knows where I am... at all times." Kagome jerked at the sensation his breath started in the pit of her belly. Flushing darkly, she shook herself out of it and got back on topic.

"You... You make it sound like you're not allowed to go anywhere," she stuttered, tracing the symbol embedded into the ring with a finger.

"Well... That would be the ideal situation to him."

"That's not fair! People aren't meant to be alone!" the priestess countered sharply, glaring at no one in particular. The Uchiha was once again amazed by the fact that she was trying so hard to protect him.

_'Perhaps... it is time to tell her the truth.'_ Taking a deep breath, he made up his mind and decided he would proceed with his idea.

"Kagome. I'd... like to tell you some things," he started, raising up to meet her curious blue eyes with determination, "about my past. However, I'd also like to know about yourself." His vision shifted back dully, and he knew he didn't have a whole lot of time left. His Sharingan had already faded with the lack of chakra to sustain it.

Oh, she knew what he was implying. He wanted a trade-off. His past for hers.

_'Am I really ready to spill it all?'_ Kagome thought, carefully looking over Itachi's face and realizing something very important. It would be the first time she'd ever told someone the whole truth; It scared her, but, she felt she could truly trust him. _'I... I want to tell him. I'm so tired of being so careful around him. It'd be nice... to just let it all out.'_

"My past for yours?"

"Yes. I think it's only fair." She swallowed, then finally nodded after a few moments of silence.

"You're right. It's... only fair."

"Good." He lost the fight to stay conscious and blacked out, slumping into her sluggishly. The last thing he remembered thinking was hoping that she would just leave him there in the clearing with the old well. He should have known better, though. Kagome would never have left him behind. And she proved it when he woke up several hours later cocooned in her bed.

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A/N: The last two chapters were a huge plot mover for this story. Things are really starting to shift into something a little more dramatic, so get ready for the ride! I'm really excited, though. This is really turning into an epic story of sorts for me!

So, as far as the Sharingan goes, it was my belief that there were different stages. Stage on is one tomoe. Stage two is two. Stage three is... you guessed it, three. The next stage would be the Mangekyou, if it applies to the user. After that is the whole 'take your sibling's eyes' and the eternal Mangekyou. And then, of course, is the stages of chakra you're able to use within the stages of the Sharingan. So, in retrospect, there are several stages. If that's wrong, oh well. I like my idea. And I'm sticking to it!

As far as the tengu thing goes, I know next to nothing about the real thing. All I know is they're a bird-like demon type creature that are harbingers of war. The rest I just friggin' made up. It seems to be the popular route to go in fanfiction, too, as I'm not the first person to suggest a connection between the tengu and the Uchiha Clan. So, anyway, if my information is wrong, bear with me and remember that it's fiction for a reason. Yeah... so there! Nyah! lolz!

Please kindly leave a review! It keeps me going!


	26. Once Upon A Time

Summary

Kagome regales her amazing adventures. Itachi is left reeling and with even more questions than answers.

A/N: And I know you guys are going to say FINALLY! But I really had a hard time getting to where Kagome was willing to start to tell him about herself. Especially since she's haboring the notion that he's going to look at her like a loony and commit her to the nearest padded room. Of course, being who he is, he'd probably sign himself up for the next room over in the same place... Haaah... Crazy people...

Hmm... That reminds me of a multi-chaptered story I'd had developing in my noggin' for a while. It was an AU and it involved a high school Kagome working at a psych clinic for community hours, and Itachi was one of the reluctant patients there... Hmmm... I may decide to pick that back up...

Sorry for the long wait. This chapter had me in fits! I just could not seem to get my act together with it! That, and I had to do some major Inuyasha rewatching to make sure I followed the storyline correctly. I'm not overly pleased with how it turned out. It just seemed a little... choppy to me. If it's just me, then oh well. I may go back and re-edit this chapter.

Anyways, on to the meat!

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Despite the fact that Madara was being more than his typical asshole-ish self, Itachi still managed to sneak away from the base right under the older Uchiha's nose. It gave him some satisfaction knowing that he was getting good enough to trick the oldest living clan member in his family. In fact, it felt a bit like the times when he was a child and he would sneak several rice balls from the fridge at night when his parents were alseep. Fugaku would always end up going to work sans a lunch when it happened and Itachi would go to school with an aching belly, but a smug sense of self-accomplishment.

Then again, the older Uchiha's attitude could have been because the younger had spent nearly four days shut up in Kagome's house. The priestess hadn't even let him move an inch until he was completely recovered. It was actually quite pleasing to him to know that the dark-haired girl was so worried about him. In retrospect, though, he probably should have sent a mesage back to the hideout to let them know he was okay.

_'I guess that's why they call it hindsight,'_ he thought, turning a corner in the village and making his way down the busy street. Thankfully, Kagome hadn't let him waste those four days of rest doing absolutely nothing. Instead, he'd begun to teach her little things about chakra and ninjutsu in the hopes that she would be able to manipulate them and add them to her collection of interesting abillities.

What had him amused, though, was her undying fascination with his weapons scrolls. He'd resolved to not show them to her, but she'd accosted every piece of gear he'd had on him during his recuperation. And when asked about each thing, he gave up and told her, in the simplest terms, about his weaponry. Once he got to the scrolls, the priestess had drilled him about several things, then demanded that he teach her how to use them.

When asked why, she replied, "It sounds incredibly useful! I'd love to learn about this stuff!" He'd been a little wary, then thought _'What the hell. Why not?'_ and gave Kagome her first lesson on ninja weapons. Now, he was anticipating teaching her more tricks. He'd brought several scrolls for the purpose, and he wanted to get started immediately.

First, though, he'd find out what she was capable of. That would include getting her past story. Then, he'd go from there and figure out what she needed to learn and what she would need improvement on.

_'Her aim, for one.'_ The former Clan heir snorted at the thought and remembered her archery practice. Yes, they would need to work extensively on her aim. Lord only knew why she was **that bad**. His shoulder twinged with a phantom pain in rememberence of her sticking him to a tree, and he instinctively rubbed a hand over the old wound. It had healed up nicely, but the idea still put him on edge.

_'Combined with her purification and she probably could have killed me back then.'_ Itachi shuddered at the thought, stopping and carefully observing the house that stood in front of him. It was hard to believe that such a strange girl lived in such a normal home. Resigning himself to his fate of teacher, he raised his hand and knocked politely on Kagome's door.

The door swung open and Kagome grinned enormously at him. The Uchiha growled inwardly at the butterflies in his stomach and demanded that they cease trying to give him a heart attack. He was certain he **wouldn't** live if such a thing happened.

"Hi! Come on in!" She bounded away, leaving the door wide open in the process for him to step through. Shaking his head at her lack of safety in general, he shut the door and locked it back.

"What if I had been a ninja in disguise?"

"You can't fool me, Itachi! I have your aura memorized!" Kagome laughed, turning to face him and bouncing exictedly from foot to foot as he removed his cloak. Wondering what had her so giddy, the Sharingan user allowed her to drag him to the kitchen with a sigh of long-suffering.

After getting re-acquainted with the kitchen, he turned to pin the priestess with a look. "Why are you so... exuberant?"

"Because you said you'd teach me cool ninja stuff! You remember that, right?"

"I don't recall using the word 'cool', but yes, I said I would teach you," Itachi countered, getting a playful glare in response, "First, though, I'd like to know what you're capable of so I won't be re-teaching you anything that might be similar."

Kagome deflated instantly, scuffing the toe of her shoe on the floor. "Is this the part where I tell you about my past?"

He nodded, leaning back against the counter and crossing his arms to wait. "Correct."

Kagome swallowed delicately at the intent gleam in his dark eyes and realized that there was no way he'd be detered. He wanted answers. And, at this point, it was time to give them.

"Well, I think you should take a seat first," she started, fidgeting horribly and glancing from him to the door to the window and back. Itachi blinked, a little confused at why she was so worried. What, did she think he would put her in a padded cell after hearing what she had to say?

Because he had no room to talk, to be honest.

Nodding silently at her words, he swept into the den and sat gracefully on the couch. She, in turn, plopped down in a chair opposite from him, nervously twiddling her thumbs. When she noticed that, she stuffed her hands between her knees; her leg started jiggling. The priestess forced herself to stay completely still, then noticed that her eyes kept darting around to briefly rest on the calm Uchiha then skitter off to look at something else.

"Is it really that difficult for you to talk about?" he asked suddenly, leaning forward and resting his chin on his hands. She nodded, biting her lip before taking a deep breath.

"It's just... I've never told anyone the whole story... It's very hard for me to even begin to describe all the fantastic and terrifying things that happened in those few months." Had it really only been such a short time that she'd spent in the Feudal Era? It had seemed like years. "In a way, it completely changed me. I was forced to grow up much faster than I was ever meant to. I saw horrible things that will always be etched in my mind. I watched people get hurt, even die for me." Kagome put a hand to her collar, making a split decision before standing up abruptly and darting up the stairs. Itachi watched her go, thinking she needed a moment to compose herself. When she came back down, though, she was carrying a small wooden box with papers plastered on it. The wood looked smooth, was a dark cherry color, and when he reached out to touch one of the papers, he flinched back as sparks shot out in warning. Whatever was in there was guarded jealously by Kaogme's purification powers.

It was not something he wanted to mess with; especially after the wholloping he'd gotten from them last time. Occasionally, his eyes still burned when he activaed the Sharingan, but that was something he wasn't willing to tell the priestess. She'd worry needlessly and start fussing over him again. _'Not that I mind, but there's a time and place. Now is neither.'_

"All for this," she whispered, tapping the top of the box absently, her blue eyes becoming unfocused and making her look like she was a million miles away. In a way, he could reach out and touch her, but with that distant look, he felt as though he would never be able to reach where she'd gone. Kagome shook herself suddenly, swiping at her eyes that looked suspiciously misty, and pulled off the charms easily. Each one fizzled in protest and died when she dropped it carelessly to the floor. And then she flopped down next to him and opened the box. He didn't expect what he saw.

A small pink crystal attached to a thin delicate silver chain was laid on the velvet pillow in the box. It almost seemed to glitter and glow at him, the pale light reflecting unconsciously in his dark eyes. The moment he'd laid eyes on the jewel, a power seemed to surge around him, welcoming and enticing at the same time. It was almost as though he could hear tiny voices whispering to him in a plea to control their power. Instinctively, he reached out to touch it-

Kagome's small hand snatched his wrist in a tight grip and his mind immediately cleared. Snapping his gaze back to her, he noted that she was watching him warily. Now that the Uchiha was able to think a little more clearly, he scooted away from the pink crystal, caution making him throw up several mental barriers. He wasn't sure **what** exactly had just happened, but he knew that he **didn't** want it to happen again. Itachi **refused** to let some nameless shapeless urge for power control him meaninglessly.

"What was that?" the Sharingan user hissed, glaring at the jewel sparkling innocently in the box.

"That... was the power of the jewel. It's called the Shikon no Tama, or the Jewel of Four Souls," Kagome replied, breathing a sigh of relief when her friend had snapped out of the initial drugging surge the jewel had let loose. She'd been worried, that with the minute amount of demonic blood in his family, that Itachi would be able to feel the call of the jewel. And he had, but he'd resisted the moment she'd touched him. It was obvious that he didn't like the Shikon one little bit now; what with the seething look he was sending the small crystal.

"And what is this... **Shikon** capable of?" he asked, spitting the name out like a bad taste in his mouth.

"If you make the right wish, it could destroy everything," she responded, sighing and putting the box abruptly down on the table, "That's why I'm here. I'm its' guardian, so I have to protect it from people, and demons, that would try to use it for bad things. It's practically useless to a human, but if a demon gets a hold of it, the jewel can increase their powers by an exponential number." She shuddered visibly at the memories of all the demons that **had** gotten a hold of it, only to be thwarted by her group. "It's terrifying, and the only way to truly get rid of it is to make a selfless wish. But... there's no such thing as a selfless wish." The priestess chuckled bitterly.

"So, you must carry it until..." he started, not liking the self loathing swimming in Kagome's blue eyes. It made him resent the jewel even more.

"Until I die and take it with me to the afterlife." She explained to him the creation of the jewel, telling him what she knew about the story of Midoriko, and then Tsubaki and Kikyo's short story for dominance over the jewel.

"Remember the story I told you about when you cut your arm open?" she asked, getting up to get a glass of water and some tea for them. Itachi nodded, quickly trying to digest the phenominal information she'd just given him and getting up to follow her.

"That's the next story. Inuyasha and Kikyo's story."

"That story was true?"

"Yep." Putting the hot water on to boil, she sucked down her glass of water and smacked her lips in satisfaction. "Only I changed the ending a little to make it sound like that was the last of it."

"I have a feeling this is where you come in," the Uchiha sighed, running a hand through his hair and shaking his head. Kaogme's blue eyes immediately dropped, but not before he caught the flash of pain in them.

"If you don't believe me, I understand," she replied quietly, fidgeting with the tea kettle absently and trying hard to not meet his gaze.

"I don't know all the facts yet, so it's hard to say if I do or not," he countered, taking a seat at the kitchen counter and watching her carefully as she puttered around the kitchen some more before turning back to face him.

"So, the jewel disappeared with Kikyo after she died. For fifty years, it was peaceful... well, as peaceful as it could get in the Warring States Era. And then... I appeared," Kagome sighed, immediately taking the water off the stove when her kettle started to whistle shrilly. Itachi winced. He hated that noise.

"In actuality, I came from 500 years in the future from that time period." He did a double take at that. **What?** "You look surprised! This is the best part!" she said mockingly, sliding his hot tea over to him. He immediately clutched the steaming cup, a little worried that everything he knew was about to be blown out of the water.

"See, when I was fifteen, I was pulled down the old well on my family's shrine... by a demon. It was resurrected because the jewel, which I later found out was reborn inside me, activated for some unknown reason. I guess when it came into contact with something as old as the well, it recognized it and woke up." He held up a hand to stop her suddenly.

"You make it sound like that," he pointed to the den, where the jewel was sitting, "thing is alive."

Kagome smirked and nodded. He blinked. Okay, he didn't believe that for one second! But still... "Continue."

"So, I was pulled down the old well by a centipede demon the size of a train." Now he understood her fear of the little creatures. He had to admit to himself, had he seen such a thing, he'd probably be terrified of them too. "She was, of course, after the Jewel. She was the first of thousands of demons that would later come after me for the same thing."

Itachi swallowed. **Thousands**? What kind of hell had Kagome been forced to go through?

The priestess continued on, sparing no details and winding her story into twists and turns that had him on the edge of his seat. He met Inuyasha, whom was re-awakened by Kagome's latent powers. The "Sit" command, which Itachi had found amusing. Immediately, he thought of the time with Hidan, and realized the similarities between the two silver haired individuals. Old Kaede, the younger sister of Kikyo, whom he later found out was his friend's incarnation. The shattering of the jewel. Banding together with an untrustworthy hanyou to try and find the pieces she'd broken. Yura of the Hair. Inuyasha's brother Sesshomaru. Their battle against the full-blooded dog demon for Tessaiga. On and on, the battles she was forced to rage to merely protect herself. When she got to the part where she met Shippo and was kidnapped by the Thunder Brothers, Itachi wanted to strangle Inuyasha for allowing an innocent girl to be taken by such ruthless monsters.

_'Should I ever meet the fool...'_

Her story cut over to her time. To a Noh Mask and the havoc it caused. To a little ghost child that would not see the light. Kagome's trip to hell to recover the little girl. He gulped, worried for her safety. But, she was here now, so she obviously made it out okay. He learned of Kagome's kidnapping and the witch Urasue, thereby meeting Kikyo as she stole Kagome's soul away. Gritting his teeth again to prevent himself from wanting to kill Inuyasha, he was relieved to find that the girl in front of him had an incredibly strong will to live; even going so far as to retrieve most of her soul from the undead priestess. Several battles later, he met the monk Miroku and his amorous hands. The Uchiha swore pain on the monk as well, then realized that Kagome saw the male as a brother figure. He let the emotions drop, knowing it would be useless to think such ways.

And then, he met Naraku.

"Naraku was originally a human bandit by the name of Onigumo. He was badly injured and burned so much, though, that he was unable to move. Kikyo found him and nursed him back to health fifty years before all of this started. He developed feelings for her, but she didn't return them. Instead, she was in love with Inuyasha. So he gathered hordes of demons together and let them devour his body. He then became Naraku, the driving force behind almost all of our enemies from that point on." Kagome grit her teeth and glared into her tea cup. "He's the reason why Inuyasha and Kikyo betrayed eachother. He's the reason why Miroku had the Wind Tunnel. He's the reason why Sango lost her family. He played cruel mind games and led countless people on to further his plans to obtain the Shikon no Tama. The only one he didn't count on was me. He had no idea of me at first. I almost purified him, and he was a lot more careful around me."

"So, the antagonist appears," Itachi mused, sipping his now cold tea. He'd be so engrossed in her story that he'd forgotten about the drink. Kagome nodded, then continued. He met Koga, the wolf demon that couldn't, apparently, get a hint. Then she moved on, fights and battles at every turn in her journey. Kagura the Wind Sorceress. Juromaru and Kageromaru, two of Naraku's incarnations. Tessaiga's breaking and Inuyasha's transformation. Ryuukotsusei and their battle with the old dragon that defeated Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's great father. Kohaku, Sango's yougner brother, and their struggle to save him. The Peach Man. Tsubaki's curse and her shikigami as Kagome was possessed. Meeting Onigumo. Inuyasha's training to master Tessaiga. The bat demons and the Red Tessaiga that could break barriers. The panther demons and their insidious plot against Sesshomaru and Inuyasha. Kagome saving Kikyo. The various battles with the Band of Seven. The fights on Mt. Hakurai.

It had become clear during the story that Kagome had fallen in love with Inuyasha. The fool, though, disregarded this and continued to pursue Kikyo. Eventually, the girl in front of him had given up, and settled for best friend. It pained him to know such a good person was so thoroughly rejected, and he still vowed to kill the hanyou, should he ever get the chance to meet him.

The battles continued, leading up to the point where Naraku freed Magatsuhi, the demon locked away inside the jewel. Inuyasha's possession by the other demon. Kagome and Sesshomaru being devoured by Naraku. Naraku's final purification. His admittance to loss and his acceptance of his death. The jewel becoming whole once again. At this point, Kagome struggled to get her words out, needing to finish the story as she stumbled over the words.

"After the final battle, we were all injured pretty badly. Inuyasha suggested that I go home for a little while because I hadn't seen my family. He walked me to the well, and I was thrilled. I really wanted to see Mama again after so long," the priestess smiled wistfully, remembering what had happened, "It was only supposed to be for a few days. I made a promise to Inuyasha. He asked me to stay in the Feudal Era with everyone. I was happy; they loved me. We were a family." Tears streamed down her face, and she put a hand to her mouth.

"We got to the well, and I guess we were lax in our senses, because we were attacked by a demon. Inuyasha had left Tessaiga at the village. He didn't think he'd need it. He told me to get to the well and that he'd take care of it. I had just jumped in when there was an arc of power that swept over the well. Splinters ended up everywhere. One of them, I don't know which, destroyed the well while I was in it. The portal activated, but it was different. I was already injured badly, and the ride was rough. I landed hard and blacked out from the pain. When I came to-" she stopped, taking a deep breath and trying to wipe away the tears. Itachi stood and circled around her, putting an arm around her shoulders and letting her lean against him.

"When I came to, I was in the Amegakure Hospital. An elderly couple found me in the well, and got me to the emergency room. I haven't been able to open the portal since, and it's been two years since I've come to this world. Every few months I try to go back, but it **won't let me**!" Burying her face in his stomach, she sobbed quietly, shoulders shaking as the Uchiha smoothed her hair back. Now he could understand why she acted so strange sometimes. She wasn't even from this world.

"I mi-miss everyone! I want to g-go home!" He didn't know what to really say to that. He had no way to help her. The information she'd just given him was still swirling in his mind, making him a little dizzy. The pain she'd faced and the bloodshed she had to endure; he was sure now that she would be able to understand his side of his story when he told it to her. For now, though, he would let her recover from her own tale before giving her something else to think about.

Itachi wasn't sure how long he stood there playing with her hair, or how long she cried, but eventually, she sniffled against him and relaxed, soothed by the warmth he was giving off.

"Itachi?"

"Hmm."

"You... You believe me, right?" she looked up at him, an innocence that he **knew** shouldn't have still been there shining in her blue eyes. He found himself wanting to say yes, and yet...

"I... need to think about it. There was... an enormous amount of information you just gave me," he replied as honestly as he could, hating the crestfallen look she gave him, "I need time, Kagome." She nodded sadly, resting her head against him again and absently humming a quiet tune. A tear trickled down her face and she let it slide down and drop from her chin. Damn, but she looked so vulnerable!

"I... I understand. Just don't go," she whispered, tightening her arms at the thought, "I don't want to be alone right now."

"... Okay. But I'd like to sit down." She nodded and let him guide her like a lost puppy back into the den. Sweeping his hand out, he flipped the box with the Shikon no Tama closed and plopped down onto the couch. He couldn't even look at the cursed gem now. Not with everything the little priestess clinging to him had gone through. Kagome immediately scrambled over to him and curled up in his lap, laying her head on his shoulder in an exhausted way. Itachi blinked. Not that he didn't mind her spot, but she wasn't usually so... touchy-feely. The most she'd ever done was hug the living daylights out of him.

_'She needs the reassurance. I... don't know if I can give that to her,'_ he thought, awkwardly wrapping her up in his arms and just letting her soak up his presence. For a while, they just sat there and reveled in eachother's proximity. He continued to play with her hair and she just hummed quietly to herself.

_'Is this the real Kagome? Was the happy facade merely to hid the pain of losing so many people dear to her? Was everything she's done been a lie?'_ He still had a lot of questions, ones that he was sure she wouldn't want to answer at the moment. Everything about this girl was a complete contradiction. How was she able to hold herself together and smile with all the sadness in her heart? How was she doing it and not going insane?

"'Tachi?" He grunted to aknowledge her. "I... I'm sorry. I'm not normally this upset."

"You went through a lot. It's only right to be the way you are right now."

"No! I just..." she stopped, glancing up at him, "I didn't mean to push my problems off on you. I'm not as sad now as I was when I first got here."

"You..." She was upset because she was concerned about **him**? "How are you even able to smile after everything you went through? How can you laugh, be happy, after losing your home and family like you did? You had no choice in the matter! Your decisions were made for you! Guided by some inanimate object that feeds off of greed and power! And now you are alone!" the Uchiha hissed, pointing at the box the jewel lay in and glaring down at her. Kagome shranked back, a little unnerved at how upset her friend truly was. She had no idea that he'd been thinking so deeply.

"It's a lot better," she whispered, not willing to meet his gaze, "It's not nearly as bad. And I'm not alone anymore. I have you." He stared down at her, disbelief plain on his face if she'd taken a moment to check. "I never told anyone this, but the day I met you, I'd had enough. I was tired of living, and I was going to..." She shook her head. Couldn't finish the sentence. It was too painful to even consider at this point.

"Then I met you. It was so hard for me to even get up the courage to talk to you. I was afraid. The people around here aren't always very nice." She looked up at him, smiling just the tiniest bit, "In a way, you saved me that day, Itachi. So, I just want to thank you for being there when I needed someone the most."

_'She was... How... did I not see that? How was... I don't... __**I saved her**__?'_ He'd never actually saved someone from theirself. It was even more alarming that he'd unknowingly saved this bright girl from doing something so...

_'Foolish.'_

It took him another few moments to think up something appropriate. And when he did, he could have punched himself.

"You're welcome." Kagome blinked up at him, a little surprised that he said anything, then smiled hugely before hugging him close, comforted by the fact that he seemed to be acting normal again.

"You're so sweet, you know that?"

"I am **not**!"

"You totally are! The big bad ninja has a heart after all!" she giggled, pinching his cheek in a childish way. She'd been wanting to do that for a long time. Itachi's eye twitched and she suddenly jumped away from him, wondering if he'd reach over and smack her upside the head... or tickle her again. "I'm going to make more tea!" With that, she swept away, her melancholy mood evaporating and leaving the former heir stunned at the sudden change.

Kagome poked her head back in, a questioning look on her pretty face, "You're still going to teach me cool ninja stuff, right?"

He almost rolled his eyes in exasperation, but kept himself in check. "Yes. I will still teach you." She squealed happily and disappeared again, the clinking of cups alerting him to her activities in the kitchen.

Going through everything that had just transpired, he found himself realizing that it didn't really matter about her past. She was here now, and she was who she was... because of him. There was **no way** he'd be able to just up and leave now. Not only was he too attached to her, she was far more attached to him than he'd previously thought. He was her pillar of strength in her whirlwind of chaotic emotions. One that she honestly needed.

This **was not** in the plan. He was not supposed to decide to suddenly change it just because a sweet girl had practically, and unknowingly, admitted that she needed him emotionally almost as badly as he needed her.

"Shit."

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A/N: Poor Itachi. His plan is falling down around him as we speak.

Sorry about not going into major details, but I felt that if you've watched the Inuyasha Saga, then you know the gist of the bits and pieces I did mention. And, because I **haven't** watched the Final Act (I'm kinda waiting for it to come out in English), I'm only vaguely aware of what happened at the end. I know I tweaked the ending of the original, but now you guys know how she got to the Naruto-verse! Yayz!

Okay guys. I'm going to be taking a small break. My creative prowess has jumped out of the window, and after literally forcing this chapter into words, it's got me braindead. I'm like all x_x from it. So, it might take me a week or two to recover. I'll continue working, but stuff in the real world is calling my attention too, and it needs to be dealt with. So, this is CherryNekoChan, letting you know that I will be back shortly!

Oh, and I put up a new poll. This one has lots of choices, so I appreciate your input!

Please review. I really appreciate it.


	27. In Color

Summary

A discussion of colors ensues that enlightens Itachi to their different ways of thinking...

A/N: I apologize for the long wait. The upstairs neighbor in my apartment complex had their water heater busted. All the water drained into the pipes, which are connected to the other water heaters, and my floors were flooded since I live on the bottom. Luckily, it looks like there's no lasting damage, but my carpets are still soaked. Even after using a steam vac to suck up as much as I could. It was not a good day for me yesterday. So, that's what's up in my life.

Anyways, I thought something a little more light-hearted was called for after that huge whammy I just threw you guys last chapter! In the spirit of not turning this into an angst-fest, I give you...

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"Itachi?"

"Hmm."

She glanced at him, tilting her head to the side in a manner that he found undeniably cute, and watched him absently. Despite the fact that he now knew everything about her, it didn't really change his stand point on her in general. It had taken a few days, but he was all right with Kagome. In fact, he wanted to make sure that she didn't feel like he would treat her any differently. It had been surprisingly easy to manage.

"What's your favorite color?"

Now, that was an odd question. Usually she asked him various random questions that never seemed to throw him a little off guard, but this one had him blinking in surprise. How was she able to **do** that?

"I don't have one," he replied, hoping this would satisfy her and allow her to move on to another query.

"You don't? That's ridiculous! **Everyone** has a favorite color!" the priestess gasped, looking completely scandelized at the mere thought. He shook his head, smirking in amusement.

"I don't have one. I never took the time to really think of something so... trivial," he responded, shrugging when she goggled at him again.

"You... You just didn't have time because of all your super ninja stuff!" Kagome snapped, glaring huffily at the Uchiha and crossing her arms.

"Exactly."

"Well.. what about your least favorite color?"

"It's the same concept!"

"No it's not! Come on! If you **had** to pick a color you didn't like, what would it be?" He sat back, thinking for a moment, and finally indulging her.

"...White."

"White?" She blinked at him in confusion, then tilted her head, "This will be an odd question, but why white?"

"It stains too easily." That line of thought tended to walk him down the direction of remembering the white rice paper screens in his old home; the time when he'd stained them with mud as a child, then later, blood when he'd killed-

"Ohhh. That makes sense. But... if we got really technical, white isn't actually a true color."

"... Is that so?" he questioned, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table and pin the priestess with a 'Look'. She nodded rapidly.

"Well yeah! White is the lack of colors," she explained, smiling happily and nodding her head in a self-important way. Itachi leaned over and messed up her hair for being a smart ass.

"Then, with that respect in mind, black would be a combination of all the colors gathered together," he surmised, grinning when she nodded again, this time shyly. Her cheeks flushed suddenly at the odd glint in his eyes and she cleared her throat awkwardly.

"So... what about your favorite color?"

"Kagome..."

"What? I just want to know!" He snorted inelegantly and waved his hand at her, picking up his glass of water to take a sip.

"What about yourself? What is your," he couldn't believe he was about to say it, but, "favorite color?"

"That's easy! It's red!" He choked on his drink, coughing spastically and turning away from her. Seconds later, and he felt her behind him, rubbing his back soothingly. When he calmed down, he glanced at her, noting the sheepish grin on her face.

"Why red? It's..." That particular color reminded him of blood, pain, agony, hatred. Red was the color of death.

"Because, red is the color of love! It's the color of passion, of the feeling of being complete when you find that special someone. Red... is the color of protection..." she trailed off, blushing suddenly when her words reminded her of Inuyasha. "Red... is warmth."

He stared at her, highly aware of the fact the he was being just a little rude. To hear her talk so positively about a color that signified so many negative things in his life made him realize that they saw things so much differently. Now, though, he was a little curious.

"What about your least favorite color?"

"It's red too!" He narrowed his eyes sharply at her, not understanding at all what her logic was.

"Why?" He needed to know. And he hoped like hell that he'd be able to figure out why her favorite color was also her least favorite color.

"Because, as much as the color red means passion, it's cold too. Filled with loss, anger, hatred for losing what you thought you could only share with one person. Red is a copy color. Red is the color of betrayal too. Red... means loneliness."

"How... What makes you believe that?" Kagome looked up at him, blue eyes filled with a little wariness.

"I... You remember me telling you about Kikyo and I, right?" At his nod, she fidgeted a little then stood, "She and I... we look a lot alike." Turning, she started up the stairs and motioned for him to follow. When they made it to the top, she led him down the hall and stopped at the second door that he'd never bothered to notice before. "It's probably part of the reason why I **hate** the color red."

Unlocking the door, she stepped inside and flipped on the lights. Itachi followed her and glanced around. He was surrounded by covered canvases. His interest peaked, he stepped to the nearest one and reached out a hand to pull down the sheet. Then, he stopped and glanced back at her. The priestess nodded slowly, and he grabbed the sheet and pulled.

It was a woman, and at first glance, he thought it was Kagome. But then, several differences made it glaringly obvious that it **wasn't** his friend. Kagome had a warm bubbly personality that shone through even the most morose moments. This woman in the traditional priestess robes... he had to assume it was Kikyo, almost seemed to give off a cool air of elegance typically found in his former clan. She had a serenity and emotionlessness that was almost chilling. Her smile, though there was a hint of warmth, was nothing like Kagome's bright cheerful grins. If he could personify the two girls, he'd say Kagome was like summer; where as this Kikyo was winter.

The most important detail to him, though, was the difference in their eyes. Even the color was at odds. While Kikyo's were brown and had a wise but wary air to them, Kagome's were blue with little hints of gray and easily changed with her open emotions. And he had to wonder what Inuyasha had seen in this woman and not in Kagome. To him, the living priestess standing next to him was so much better than...

"See? This is Kikyo. I made this shortly after I ended up in this world," Kagome whispered, raising her hand to reverently touch the other girl's painted face, then stopping herself and letting the arm drop, "I was so homesick for everyone that I holed myself up in here and drew and painted until I'd made a little peace with not being able to go back." She gave him a small sad smile that made him want to shove her out the door and take her... somewhere. Anywhere that would make her happy again. "We could almost be twins, huh?"

"... Not twins. I'd say first or second cousins. Even an older-younger sibling," he explained at her confused wide-eyed look, "I see the similarities, but I don't see why everyone would confuse you with her. You are... brighter. More full of life." He turned away and started out the door, his curiosity screaming at him to look at the other canvases, but his pride insisting he respect her privacy, "You are Kagome. And she is Kikyo. No one can ever change that."

Kagome watched him leave, tears shining in her eyes as she swallowed the urge to bawl her eyes out. Those things... he'd said them with a sincerity that she'd felt from the bottom of her heart. And somewhere inside her, a fist of tension and fear relaxed and cried in joy. He didn't see her as a copy.

Itachi saw her as simply Kagome.

"Itachi!" He stopped, and turned to catch her when she flew into him. Gazing up at him with wide eyes, she smiled shyly and thanked him.

_'What is she thanking me for?'_ he thought, nodding absently and letting her pull him down the stairs, _'I merely stated the truth.'_

"Do you really not have a favorite color?" Kagome asked, glancing back at him with enormous puppy dog eyes. He gave her a deadpan stare and watched her flop back down into her chair in the kitchen, a perpetual glow on her cheeks.

"No."

"But, if you absolutely had to pick," she stopped his interruption with a swipe of her hand, "On pain of death, what would you choose?"

He sighed, standing and setting his glass in the sink. When it seemed like he wouldn't answer, the priestess opened her mouth to complain at him-

-Only to find him inches from her, staring her down intently. Because she was sitting and he was standing, he practically loomed over her. Her head only came up to just above his waist, for cryin' out loud! She swallowed. What... how had he moved so fast? Oh, yeah. Ninja.

_'And why is he looking at me like that?'_ His hands moved gently, pushing her bangs aside in a careless manner before he smirked just the faintest bit. She felt her cheeks heat at the almost intimate movement.

"Under pain of death, I would pick... blue." Then he was moving away, insisting that he needed to head back to the base to keep the others from annoying him (AKA worrying) too much. Were his associates **really** a bunch of S-Class criminals?

Kagome vaguely bid him farewell, still trying to churn and turn his answer over in her mind.

_'Okay... What did he mean by __**that**__?'_ Pushing her bangs out of her eyes, she huffed and glared at the spot Itachi had previously occupied. Damn ninja were so secretive!

And somewhere down the road, Itachi was staring at his hand and wondering what the hell had compelled him to say the color blue when he'd intended to never let her know.

A picture of her smiling blue eyes flickered in his mind and was gone before he had the chance to analyze it.

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A/N: Aaaaahhhh. Itachi's gravitating in the right direction. I'm sure the rest of you are thrilled. Thanks for your patience. Hopefully, it won't take nearly as long to get the next chapter up. Hopefully.

Anyways, I'm not sure what inspired this, but I did it. And I like it. Don't forget to review!


	28. Swimming Lessons

Summary

Madara finally attempts to one-up Itachi. Kisame gives his partner some sound advice. Kagome takes a swim...

A/N: So it looks as though Madara has become jealous of our dear priestess. Apparently, he doesn't like sharing Itachi. Go figure that. Scary...

On another note, a lot less reviews than normal, but I still hit over the 600 mark! Thanks everyone! I will happily bask in the awesomeness of you guys! This is an important part of the story. A little more plot too. I apologize for the wait on this. FFnet locked me out of posting new stuff. It took forever to get them to fix it! But this just means I've been working hard at finishing up more chapters!

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He paced rapidly in his chamber, quickly putting several pieces together as far as his young descendant's attitude as of late was concerned. He'd become less ruthless, softer, much less tolerable of his potential plans. And the boy was even considering calling his entire charade off.

How had one girl managed to completely change his Itachi. The boy was almost unrecognizable in attitude. Sure he was still quiet, self-assured, annoyed easily, if you pushed the right buttons, and intelligent. But now, there was something else growing in the younger Uchiha.

Compassion.

That was bad. Compassion meant one would try to make room for unnecessary mistakes.

Mistakes that could ruin his plans.

His stance grew rigid in shock and he sucked a breath in. Did Itachi-!

"No! I can't think that he'd be so foolish as to fall for **that** game," he hissed, Sharingan whirling in agitation and he swirled around to glare at the wall of his room. However, he needed to be sure.

He needed sure-fire proof that Itachi wasn't in love with some strange random girl.

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His plan had backfired horribly. He knew the moment he'd laid eyes on the two that the younger Uchiha cared very deeply for the dark-haired girl pointing out a shiny bauble in the marketplace to him. Really, though, Itachi was getting lax. He could easily read the younger male's body language where this girl seemed to be concerned. It may not have been love, but the potential was enormous. He had to stop it! Now! Before he progressed any further.

His instincts screamed at him to do something to fix this growing problem. Then he smirked diabolically. He had just the scare tactic to make the boy realize that he'd strayed too far from his place.

After all. Madara Uchiha was nothing, if not cunning.

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There was that forboding feeling in the pit of his stomach again. Itachi glanced around the marketplace, senses sharp and wide open for any possible attacks.

Nothing. At least, he couldn't feel anything without his Sharingan active. And he wasn't allowed to use that, as per Pein's orders. Something about being recognized immediately. There were days when he really hated his clan's Bloodline Limit.

Like today, for instance. His eyes were itchy, damn it. But to scratch would mean admitting to the fact that they bothered him. It did; after all, he was slowly going blind.

"Itachi?"

And now he'd attracted her attention. He gave himself a mental congrats and an obligatory pat on the back. It was exactly what he hadn't wanted to do.

"I'm fine."

"... You sure?"

"Yes, Kagome. Finish up your shopping," he replied, before adding the final word sullenly, "please."

She smiled hugely and patted his cheek in a sign of affection. He didn't really mind it.

"I'm almost done. I promise," the priestess countered sweetly, spinning around and diving into the crowd excitedly. Itachi huffed in annoyance and gave chase.

Really, though. How was he supposed to keep an eye on her if she always ran off like that?

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She sighed quietly and stared out the window in her kitchen. Itachi had gone on a mission a week ago, and he was due back any day now. A little thrilled, she finally kicked herself for thinking so wistfully and grabbed her shopping bag. She was going to make something special for the Uchiha when he came back.

With the idea firmly in place, she set out for the market. Maybe she'd find some fresh tilapia too!

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Itachi grumbled under his breath at the slow pace Kisame had been keeping. He wanted to go home, damn it! Well... he wanted to go to Kagome's house; recently though, he'd taken to calling it home. It felt more like one than the hideout ever did.

The two Akatsuki members jumped lithely from the treetops, neither one wanting to appear as though they were actually hurrying. However...

"Kisame. Pick up the pace. It will be dark at the rate we're going," the Sharingan weilder announced, gritting his teeth when his partner suddenly stopped. Skidding to a halt several trees ahead, he turned and vaulted back over to the shark man in agitation. Glaring up at him with annoyed Sharingan, he waited for the reason as to why they'd halted.

It was when Kisame avoided his eyes that Itachi got that sick feeling in his gut again. "You're hiding something, Kisame. Out with it!"

"... Itachi..." the blue man hesitated, turning his back on the smaller man, "... If it was me in your place, I wouldn't have let slip about meeting someone. I wouldn't wait for me, either."

The Uchiha sucked in a breath, icy fingers gripping his spine in fear. Something was going to happen.

What about Kagome?

Turning, the former heir ran through the trees, his speed blurring everything around him and almost making him miss the branches several times. He'd only corrected himself in time due to his Sharingan.

Something bad was going to happen. He could feel it.

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Her senses screamed at her in warning when she turned a corner and found it deserted. Gulping audibly, she tried to back away and bumped into someone from behind.

"O-oh! I'm sor-!" She tried to skitter away, but a hand shot out, grabbing her arm and swinging her around to face her assailant. The guy in front of her smirked lazily and raised his other hand to tilt her chin up. She shook him off and moved away. He followed easily.

"Now, now. Don't struggle. It'll only make things worse for you, dear girl," he muttered, unprepared for the shove she gave him to get away.

Kagome spun around and flung herself down the alley, running as fast as she could to get away from the man with the dark aura. It was slimey, and it felt like it was creeping up to suffocate her. She hated that.

Turning corners quickly, she glanced back, not seeing anyone pursuing her. Tears gathered in her eyes in relief. She'd lost him. Then she slammed into another wall... That turned out to be the man chasing her. How had he gotten in front of her?

_'Is he a ninja?'_ That... was bad. The only ninja she'd ever dealt with was, _'Itachi...'_

Kagome tried to back away again, but found herself against the wall. She shivered when the older male raised his hand to wipe away the tears tracking down her cheeks in a show of mock affection. She hadn't even realized she'd started crying.

_'His touch... feels like pure evil,'_ she thought, resisting the urge to just purify now and ask questions later. She was afraid to give her abilities away to someone like him. Especially if he somehow managed to survive. He was mostly human, after all.

"You shouldn't cry. Those pretty eyes are better suited for other things," Madara muttered, leaning in to bump foreheads with hers. The priestess sucked in a breath at the elder Uchiha's closeness and shut her eyes in fear. She couldn't take looking at his visible red eye anymore. It brought back way too many bad memories. Despite that fact they were the same type of eyes as Itachi's Sharingan, the menace in them were too similar to...

_'Naraku.'_ She had to be brave. But it was hard.

"W-what do you want from me?"

"... Nothing. You should be more worried about what I plan to do with you."

"Why... are you doing this," she asked, sounding much braver than she felt. She felt him huff a breath in amusement and blinked her eyes open when he moved away.

"Because someone needs to teach my little descendent a lesson," the older Uchiha replied, his Sharingan beginning to twirl rapidly. Kagome immediately became hooked on the spinning orb. She simply could not look away. To do so would mean...

_'Would mean what, exactly? ... I don't... know... I'm scared,'_ the priestess thought vaguely, feeling her eyelids becoming heavy. They drooped shut and she swayed on her feet, unsure of her balance and trying to fight the sudden urge to sleep. Her mind screamed at her that if she sucuumbed, she may never wake again. The male in front of her steadied her by putting his hands on her small shoulders. Kagome shuddered, his touch still feeling completely wrong, and tried to fight her way away. She pushed feebly at him and stumbled back.

_'Why won't my body listen? I don't understand! Help me!'_ She felt his fingers slide into her silky hair and tilt her head up. Her lashes fluttered, her mind continuing to fight a losing battle with the hyponotic affects of the Sharingan and she could feel herself giving in. Opening her eyes one last time, she tried to muster up the effort to glare at him.

Madara tsk-ed and smirked at the glare the small girl sent him. She was fighting admirably against his dojutsu, but she would lose, in the end. They all did.

"As admirable as your struggle is, girl, there is no point," the former founder sighed, watching her blue eyes dialate again in the effort to keep her mind her own, "I always win. It's a shame, though. You're such a pretty little thing. Almost Uchiha, even. But now, you've interfered far too much. I can't allow that any longer." Her eyes slid closed and she finally collapsed against his chest in a deep sleep.

_'It took far more energy than I would have imagined to put her under,'_ Madara thought, allowing his Sharingan to fade in order to conserve his chakra-levels. He looked over the young girl's face carefully, trying to understand the reason before shrugging and scooping her up in his arms. _'She resisted much more than anyone I've ever had to use that jutsu on. Could she somehow be able to battle against my dojutsu? It should be impossible without another Sharingan!'_

_'It doesn't matter now, anyway. This will be the first, and last, time I will deal with her.'_ With that thought in place, he turned away, carrying the unconscious priestess into the shadows of the woods nearby. He would at least do her proper justice and dispose of her honorably.

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Itachi flew through the trees at top speed, heedless of possibly leaving tracks. He had to get to her before...

The house was dark and his stomach dropped fearfully. Glancing around to make sure no one was around, he flipped through a series of hand seals and activated the highest level of his Sharingan without melding it into the Mangekyou. He'd only use that if it was necessary.

Carefully, he searched everything within sight for Kagome's interesting chakra, finding nothing and only becoming more frustrated. If Madara had done something to her...

He couldn't think that way. Couldn't lose her right now. Not when she was just as meaningful as Sasuke now. Flinging himself from Kagome's rooftop, he decided to check the next spot on his list.

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Stepping out of the shadows, he leisurely made his way to the center of the iced-over lake. Though it was already March, it was unseasonably cold still. It was simple to cut a hole in the frozen water with a blast of fire. Now, he just needed to get rid of her.

"Perhaps, this will teach Itachi not to become distracted," Madara muttered, cradling the priestess to him gently. For some strange reason, he didn't want to let her go. It was an alarming feeling, and if she was capable of making even him feel so strangely, imagine what she had done to the younger Uchiha after countless months of contact with him. Shaking himself inwardly, the elder Uchiha gave up his hold on Kagome, and she tumbled into the icy lake. Her dark hair flared out around her, and for a moment, she looked absolutely breathtaking. He could almost see why Itachi would want her now.

The odd feeling that had descended over him faded instantly, and he smirked, watching her body sink into the dark depths. Turning, he strode across the lake and stepped back onto dry land. Perhaps now, he could actually get some work done with Itachi's little **friend** no longer in the picture.

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Itachi frantically searched every place that Kagome had ever gone. The market, the orphanage, the hospital, that old well that had brought her here. Still, he was unable to find her. In a fit of anger, he lashed out at the old well. He got a real shock when his Fireball jutsu merely rebounded off of the crumbling well.

What. The. Hell.

_'How-!'_ Power suddenly flared up from the wood and surrounded him. He wasn't sure what to expect, but the surge felt... friendly? It crackled around him briefly in a brilliant display of white and blue. Then, the power surge abruptly vanished. But not without leaving him with an overwhelming sense of urgency.

And an interesting new ability. Where he'd been unable to locate Kagome's chakra with his Sharingan, he could now literally **feel** it pulsing in the distance. Another chakra was near her too, one that had been hidden from his senses; a sickening dark one that made him want to retch. He could recognize that chakra signal from a million miles away. She was definitely in trouble.

Glancing one last time at the now quiet well, and hoping that when he got Kagome back he could ask some questions, he leapt into the air and sprinted through the trees at top speed.

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Kagome felt herself drifting. In what, she wasn't sure, but the feeling was nice. She didn't want to leave it.

And so, she wouldn't.

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When he got to the icy lake, Itachi's heart literally bottomed out in terror. Was she in there? Could she swim? Had Madara tried to drown her? Was she even alive?

Swallowing the urge to completely panic, he stepped onto the ice as quickly as possible, skidding to a halt next to the broken hole in the center. With his Sharingan, he could vaguely make out Kagome's chakra. With his interesting new ability, however, he could **see** it trying to keep her alive; bubbling around her protectively and forcing her to live. It was too hard to explain, and something he planned to carefully analyze later.

The Uchiha frantically flipped through a series of hand signs, calling forth his second best element.

_"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"_

The lake began to rumble, water shooting into the air and arcing around him in the shape of several dragons, and cascading away from the priestess floating near the bottom of the lake. Leaping down nimbly, he scooped her cold body up and high-tailed it out of there and back onto land. He paid no attention to the waves that crashed around, shattering the icy surface of the lake. The only thing that concerned him was the freezing girl in his arms.

That wasn't breathing. At all.

_'What do I do? What do I do? CPR, dammit! Calm the fuck down, Uchiha!'_ His mind was completely scattered, the overwhelming urge to save her dominating his normally logical side. _'Save her! Save her!'_

Itachi set her down gently, wiping her wet hair away from her face and tilting her chin up. Putting a shaking hand over her mouth, he gulped at the lack of air, steeled his resolve, leaned over, and pressed his mouth to hers. He **refused** to think about the fact that though they were cold, the priestess's lips were still soft.

Maybe later, though, when he wasn't trying to make her breathe.

It was another minute or two before Kagome finally coughed up the water in her lungs. He thought he would pass out from relief. Instead, he shakily gathered her into his arms and held her close, patting her back occasionally and whispering soothing words.

"I'm here. It's okay now." She clung to him, shaking from cold and near-death, while sobbing quietly into his cloak. "You're safe." Carefully, he bundled her up in his wet cloak, hoping to conserve some kind of heat, and started towards her home quickly.

"T-T-T-Tachi?"

"We're going home. You need to get warm so you don't get sick," he replied, tightening his grip when she squirmed. Balanced precariously high above the ground, he stopped and let her get comfortable. Her cold cheek pressed against his collar to try and borrow what little body heat he had right now.

"... Ok-okay. Wake m-m-me up wh-when we g-g-g-get there," Kagome chattered, curling up against him and closing her eyes. With her nose pressed against his neck and her rapid breathing puffing there, he felt his well-earned control finally slip back into place. He'd never panicked like that before. Ever.

That... was bad. He was way too attached. If she ever died...

The very idea made him slightly nauseated. She was important enough that he'd kill for her. And all she'd have to do would be to point him in the right direction.

_'This is bad. She means too much now.'_ And he was one hundred percent sure that this was what Madara had been trying to prove. That attachment made you different. Made you lax. Made you want to do anything for that person. Even-

_'Even to die for her.'_ Itachi shivered. Not even Sasuke had spurred that kind of devotion in him. Yet. He wasn't sure how to proceed at this point. Thinking through several possibilities, he decided that one solution would be better for the both of them; would be the safest.

He'd distance himself from Kagome if that meant she could escape Madara's grip of insanity.

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A/N: NOOO! He's regressing! Damn Uchiha are so stubborn! I suppose you're all going to hate me now. I am a little evil, aren't I? Don't worry. Madara will get his. I have a plan. And it doesn't involve ramen. Lolz.

So, he **did** kiss her, but not the way you all **want** him to. That was probably evil of me too. I just know several of you are going to want to reach through your computers and smack me senseless. But, hey! What's a story without a little drama.

As always, please leave a review! I like those!


	29. Anger Management

Summary

Itachi and Kisame have a nice sit down chat over a cup of tea... Not.

A/N: And now it's time to present to you another chapter! Yayz! You guys are awesome! My husband inspired me to do this one. I was proof-reading out loud to him and he's like "Use something where you can go 'think of something that has nothing to do with Madara'." I just died laughing. Haven't done a short-ish one in a while! So, here we go!

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It wasn't unusual to see Kisame and Itachi together. They were team partners, so they naturally did many things together. They ate together, trained together, even hunted for food together when on missions. What was really interesting, though, was to see Kisame attempting to give his volatile partner lessons in anger management.

"Think of the first thing that makes you angry," Kisame stated, leaning back in his chair and watching Itachi sigh and close his eyes. Immediately, Madara's face came to mind.

"Madara."

"... Okay... Now, think of the first thing that makes you happy."

"Killing Madara."

"... Okay, think of something that has **nothing **to do with Madara, Itachi," the shark man sighed, running a hand through his blue hair. The younger Uchiha had been this way for a month and a half now. Obviously, the older Uchiha had done something to piss the younger off, because he'd come across several plans and scribbles in his fellow member's room that had a lot to do with killing the ancestor in many extremely painful ways. He took pity on Itachi though, and chose not to mention said plans to Madara.

That would mean getting involved, and he **did not** want to do that.

"Fine," the Sharingan user huffed, sliding his eyes closed again and concentrating on pushing the image of slowly tearing his "Uncle" limb from limb... with his bare hands. Instead, he thought about something else.

Immediately, Kagome's face came to mind and he quickly shoved that away too. The last thing he wanted was to dwell on the priestess during his self-appointed exile from her life. It had been hard enough to pry himself away from her after the incident in the lake. Hell, the girl had barely let him out of sight to force her into the shower.

The really awkward part had been later when he went to warm himself up in one. She'd waited just outside the door, and the moment he opened it, she'd flung herself at him and stuck to him like glue. It ended up being early morning before she'd finally calmed down enough to fall asleep; curled up on the couch in his lap with his fingers running through her damp hair. After that, he'd gingerly tucked her into her bed and forced himself to leave, despite every instinct in him screaming at him to stay.

But he **was not** supposed to be thinking of her!

"... The kunai Deidara stole from me and never gave back."

"Hey, he lost those three years ago, Itachi. There was **no way **he could even attempt to get them back," Kisame countered, muttering under his breath about holding grudges and paranoid Uchiha in general.

"Regardless, they were mine, ergo, he owes me a new set. I got those in Wave Country, by the way, and they were quite expensive," Itachi repsonded dryly, opening his eyes and directing a lazy stare at the blue man.

"Wave Country? Really?"

"Yes. They were hand crafted with carbon steel and specially made for precision and balance," he replied, nodding and remembering the mission he'd gotten them. It was right before he'd permanently left Konoha too, "Then later coated in a diamond glaze to prevent any possible rusting."

Kisame whistled and leaned forward to watch the Uchiha, "Those must have been expensive. Anything with that diamond glaze is immediately three times as much as any other set of weapons. You know, I had a fire torched sword when I was younger that had a diamond coat put on it. It was a gift from one of the former Seven Swordsman."

"And you can see that though they are pricier, it is worth it in the end... If they aren't stolen and never given back, at least," the younger man nodded, then glared at no one in particular. Kisame inwardly sighed. And they'd come back full circle.

"You can't just get another set?" The former heir looked completely incensed at even the thought.

"The man that forged those has long since passed away, Kisame! No one else knew how he did it, and he had no children to pass his traditions on to! So, no, I can't just 'get another set', as you so eloquently put it!" he hissed, rising from his spot on the couch and storming up to his room angrily. A moment later, Sasori poked his head into the room.

"I told you it wouldn't work, Kisame," the red head announced, smirking and holding out a hand. Kisame cursed under his breath and pulled out his money. Slapping the appropriate amount into the puppet master's hand, he waved him off and sat back to think again.

What the hell had Madara done to piss the younger Uchiha off so badly? The shark man knew it had involved Kagome in some way, but he'd thought the old ancestor was just going to threaten Itachi or scare the girl or something. Sadly, the older Uchiha hadn't let him in on the full extent of his plans to "sway Itachi into making the correct choices".

_'What if... Madara targeted the girl instead? Does that mean he might have tried to kill her?' _Kisame gulped.

They were in for hell if that was the case. Itachi was inconsolable if someone interfered with his life too much. It seemed to be a paranoid trait that was developed from being raised in the Uchiha clan, because Madara was almost the same way. Those two Uchiha were going to kill eachother before the year was over.

And he was willing to bet on that.

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A/N: Ahhh... Bonding moment. And another look into the Akatsuki. I hope you enjoyed this!

The poll on my profile is now closed. Looks like Inuyasha/Naruto is the winner! -throws confetti- This means that the next thing I will decide to post will be from that crossover.

Now there's a new one! So let me know what you want!

Please review!


	30. Visit

Summary

Itachi and Kisame head out to pay Naruto and Sasuke a visit...

A/N: And I'm making an attempt to somewhat follow the original storyline. I'm just editing heavily. I had to re-read and rewatch the episode(s) where Itachi and Kisame appeared for the first time so I could have some semblance of what originally happened. It made it very diffiult to keep everyone in character and add my own twist to it.

I apologize for the long wait! For your patience, this chapter is a lot longer than normal. So, anyways, read and review!

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The moment he learned of the destruction of the Leaf Village, courtesy of Orochimaru, he knew it was time to pay a visit back to his old home. Despite the protests that Kisame whipped up, Itachi needed to make sure that Danzou and the elders would remember that he was still around; and still watching carefully.

After all, who knows what those bastards would do to his little brother if he didn't make an appearance. And with the Third being gone now...

He made the flimsy excuse to Pein that they were going to check out the information on the Nine-tails vessel, Naruto Uzumaki. The leader accepted it without any problems.

_"If you can, bring back the boy with you,"_ the shadowy figure of the Rinnengan user demanded before fazing out of existence.

Now, after taking a moment to beat the living daylights out of one Kakashi Hatake, curtesy of the Tsukuyomi, the two missing-nin were finally on the right track.

"I hate this town," Kisame muttered, stepping to the side when a group of children barreled past them in high spirits, "There are always way too many people. Itachi? **Why** did we have to come here?"

The smaller man remained silent, Sharingan eyes sharp and trying to pick out what should have been the Kyuubi's distinctive chakra. He was having a much more difficult time with all the other people around. Why **had** they come here?

_'Right, to find Sasuke,'_ the former heir thought, glaring at nothing in particular, _'under the cover of looking for Naruto.'_

"I bet your friend would like this town. She seems lively," the shark man commented off-handedly. Itachi's hand twitched in annoyance and he resisted the urge to pummel Kisame to death suddenly. At this point, he actually needed the Mist nin. But to be reminded of Kagome...

"I severed ties with her," the Uchiha replied shortly, clenching his teeth when the feelings of remorse reared their head inside. Kisame remained silent for a moment before shrugging his massive shoulders.

"Probably for the best. She was in more danger knowing you than being pushed aside."

_'Exactly.'_ The other ninja was right, though. Kagome **would** probably love this town. It was loud, lively, and full of interesting sights and smells. A pang started in his chest again as he continued to think of the girl he'd left behind two months ago.

It was a feeling that had been growing recently, and when he'd had the time to try and analyze it, the closest possibility he could connect it with was the aching lonliness he'd suffered before he'd met her. The suffocating sensation that had come over him when he'd made the decision to obtain his Mangekyou Sharingan. For some reason, though, it seemed a thousand times worse.

Was **this** how it felt to lose a truly good friend? Was **this** how he was supposed to have felt when he killed Shisui?

Something caught at the corner of his senses, and the odd chakra sensing ability he'd picked up from the well startled into life all of the sudden. The force beckoning him was a viscious bloody feeling. One he knew was ancient in age and power.

The Nine-tails chakra was calling.

And, now that he knew what he was looking for, the Sharingan weilder couldn't believe it had taken him so long to identify it! The abrasive feeling was like a homing device!

"Kisame. This way." Cutting through the crowd, the smaller nin made his way towards a hotel in the distance.

"You sure?"

"Yes. Now, we need to distract the Sannin that is with Naruto," Itachi replied, pulling from the information Pein had given them to memorize, then burn later. If he was right, then the easiest way to separate the great Jiraiya from his newest pupil was with the carnal sin that no man could resist.

A woman.

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It had been surprisingly easy to lure Jiraiya away. Now, the two ninjas were fairly confident in their ability to kidnap a small child, however, it would have been nice to actually **know** what Naruto Uzumaki looked like. He'd been following what he'd started calling his Chakra Sensor, and the Kyuubi's chakra had led them right to this door.

Itachi wasn't really sure what the protocol for this would entail, but seeing as they probably shouldn't cause a huge commotion (they did, after all, sneak into this inn), he just shrugged and settled for knocking on the door. Maybe they'd get lucky and the Nine-tails container would be dumb enough to answer the door.

The door opened, and a small blonde boy glanced up at him in shock.

Itachi felt like smacking the kid. He just **had** to be a blonde. And, just his luck, he **would** be the demon vessel. The whiskers on his cheeks completely gave him away.

"Hard to believe this kid is the Nine-tails," Kisame muttered, stepping out from behind the Uchiha to smirk arrogantly at the boy.

"Naruto Uzumaki. You're coming with us."

The boy, Naruto stood there for a moment in a panic before Itachi felt the need to urge him on a little more. They were running out of time.

"Why don't we take a walk." It wasn't a suggestion. Putting a slight compulsion on the boy through the Sharingan's hypnotic effects, the blonde gulped and stepped away from his hotel room. So far, things were going well. If they could actually accomplish this mission, maybe Pein and Madara would get off his back for a little while.

_"Are you really going to hurt that poor boy? He's done nothing to you!"_ Kagome's voice filtered through his head, making him want to grit his teeth. She **would** say something like that. And then she'd try to protect the child; demon vessel or not. _"Itachi! Please!"_

_'That's enough! Now is not the time to be thinking of her!'_ It seemed that his conscience had decided to take on the voice of the priestess. It was actually a very effective idea... if this mission wasn't so important.

"Hey, Itachi. It'd be a pain if he just ran off on us," Kisame muttered, raising a hand to his sword and grinning arrogantly down at the shocked boy, "Maybe I oughta... chop off a leg. Just in case."

Naruto gasped in horror and gulped heavily, eyes wide in fear. When the smaller male didn't reply, the blue man stepped forward.

"Right then." Kisame watched his partner's emotionless expression very carefully. While it was true that you couldn't read the Uchiha's emotions through his expressions unless he wanted you to, his eyes were another story. Usually, the Sharingan user let his most lethal weapon do all the talking. Those red eyes, however, were completely blank; almost as though he was focusing on something else entirely.

"It's been a long time. We meet again... Sasuke," Itachi breathed quietly, sliding his gaze to the person behind them languidly. His much taller partner froze, turning to face their newest opponent.

_'I wonder... how much stronger you have become my foolish little brother.'_

"Itachi Uchiha."

Naruto looked from one Uchiha to the other in confusion, "Itachi... Uchiha? You..."

"Well... If it isn't a Sharingan. And he looks an awful lot like you. I thought you killed everyone in your illustrious clan, Itachi," Kisame grumbled out, letting his sword hand drop in interest, "Who is this kid?"

"... My younger brother, Sasuke Uchiha."

"I hope you're ready to die, Itachi," the younger Uchiha growled out, hatred blackening his features, "It's just as you said, brother. I've fostered my hatred for you all this time. I've lived my life for one single purpose. And that is to **See. You. Die!**" Lightning formed in his palm, the electric shocks making an almost bird-like sound. Inwardly, Itachi was a little impressed. It took quite an effort to be able to manifest and use a lightning jutsu. Especially one as difficult to control as the Chidori.

_'He must have an affinity for lightning,'_ the former heir thought, narrowing his eyes sharply and quickly analyzing his brother's movements.

"_IT ENDS HERE! YOU'RE DEAD!"_ With that, Sasuke shot forward, slamming his palm into the wall and tearing up the drywall in the process.

"Sasuke!" Itachi heard the blonde vessel call out for his team mate, but was unable to do anything to help. Flicking up a hand, he easily caught the younger male's attack and steered the brunt of Chidori's destructive force into demolishing the nearest wall. Light filtered through the hole as the wind pushed the floating debris away.

Steeling his resolve, Itachi shoved the emotions that attempted to crowd to the surface and tightened his hold on Sasuke's wrist painfully.

A sickening force suddenly swelled to life behind him, and the older Uchiha and his partner whirled their attention onto Naruto.

_'He's trying to call on the fox's chakra!'_ Itachi thought, stomach lurching at the hatred rolling off of the signature alone. There was no way a young boy like Naruto would be able to emit that much anger and hatred without any kind of assistance.

"The air... is filled with chakra," Kisame murmured, whipping a hand up to his sword again, "This must be the Nine-tails signature."

"Not yet-!" Sasuke gasped, rearing a hand back.

"That's enough," Itachi interrupted quietly, snapping his hand and breaking the younger boy's wrist suddenly. The scream that went through the air was chilling, and this was the answer he needed. His brother wasn't strong enough. Not yet, at any rate. There was no way he'd be able to accomplish his goals at the current strength the younger boy exuded. Sasuke hit the floor in pain, and he let the damaged wrist slide from his grasp.

_'What a shame. It seems I must wait a little longer.'_

"Dammit! I've had it! _Ninja Art Summoning_-!" Naruto started, nicking his thumb and starting through the seals for a summons.

"TOO SLOW KID!" the shark man snarled, bringing his sword down and snatching the chakra in the air away. The effect was immediate, and the reddish glow that the former heir could see manifesting around the blonde boy vanished, the Samehada sucking it into it like a void. The demonic blade munched happily on its' treat, moving in excitement for another taste in Kisame's hand. "Sorry, kid. My Samehada cuts through chakra and devours it."

Naruto could only look on in shock, frozen in absolute terror.

"Forget the legs. We don't want him to whip out any more jutsu. Maybe I'll just start with those pesky arms of his. Eh, Itachi?"

"... Do what you want. I don't really care," the Uchiha sighed, turning away from his brother now that he was no longer a threat. The panicked expression that flickered across the blonde's face made his stomach churn in sadness. He could only quell the urge to stop his bloodthirsty partner from being so ruthless. Was nothing sacred anymore? Was there really no way to just show a little mercy?

_'Now you're thinking like a peace-talker, Uchiha,'_ a little voice in his head hissed, _'Kagome held far too much sway on your emotions. More than you ever realized. You know pacifism has no place in this world of bloodshed.'_

"You're just wasting your time, boy." Raising the bandaged blade high into the air, Kisame brought it down again for a final swing. Smoke suddenly exploded, catching the two missing nin off guard and deflecting the demonic blade.

"What the hell?" The smoke cleared, and standing in front of the demon vessel was an armored red frog. Itachi's Sharingan eyes narrowed in displeasure. Oh, he knew what this meant. They'd failed.

"You two don't know me at all, do you?" a voice grumbled, another explosion cracking in the air that indicated a transportation jutsu," You should have done your homework better. Jiraiya, the Toad Sage, falls victim to **no** woman's charms!" The Sannin stepped from the cloud and smirked at the two annoyed S-class criminals. "Rare beauties drop for **me**, like blossoms in a storm! It isn't in my **nature** to be duped by the wiles of women! When you have reached the stature that I have, the ladies kneel and **worship** at your awesomeness!"

_'Yeah, and I'm gay,'_ Itachi thought, feeling a tiny twitch start up in his left eye.

After several precious seconds of bickering, the Sage and Naruto were ready to get serious.

"I know that Naruto is the one you're really after," Jiraiya announced, much to Sasuke and Naruto's surprise.

Thinking back on what Kakashi had said earlier, Itachi came to the realization that this man had been the one to inform the Copy-ninja.

"You are correct. Naruto Uzumaki is the prize that the Akatsuki are after. And we **will** have him," Itachi replied, putting an ominous threatening tone in his last words.

"No way! I'll never let you guys run off with him!" the Toad Sage growled, sliding into a fighting stance, "Actually, this gives me the chance to eliminate you both."

"NO!" Sasuke snapped, shakily rising to his feet, "He's mine! This... is my fight! The only one that gets to kill him... is me!"

_'There's that stubborn will he inherited from father,'_ Itachi mused, glancing in his brother's direction and almost scoffing. The boy was in no shape to fight. Still...

"Go away. You don't interest me right now."

Sasuke seethed visibly and charged right in. "THEN GET INTERESTED!"

The elder Sharingan user snapped a foot out and kicked the smaller boy roughly down the hall.

"SASUKE!"

"Don't interfere, Naruto! This fight is mine!" the dark-haired boy snapped, charging back down the hall again recklessly. Itachi winced inwardly at his sibling's carelessness.

_'You leave yourself wide open, little brother.'_ Lifting one hand, he brushed off the next punch and used his other hand to almost slap the other Uchiha back down the hall. Sasuke's body slammed into the wall as blood dripped from his mouth. The Sharingan master glared in annoyance when Sasuke tried to move his broken hand.

_'He can't even make the proper hands signs. Why can't you just give up?'_

"Not... finished... This fight... is mine."

"... So be it," Itachi sighed, starting forward to finally meet his brother. An easy knee knocked the younger back again when he tried to attack and the elder sibling again steeled himself to beating some sense into his brother. Sasuke **needed** to know that at his current power level, there wasn't a damn thing he could do. He **had** to become stronger!

There was absolutely **no other way**!

_"I love my little brother! He may be a brat, but I'd do anything for him!"_ Kagome's voice echoed in his mind. Gritting his teeth, the next punch he connected contained a little more force than neccesary. It was for the best.

_"You always tell them to just be theirselves."_

_'But he can't see that. He's too blinded by his idolization of me.'_ A sharp elbow to the back of the neck brought Sasuke crashing to the ground.

_"You have a brother? What's he like?"_ Her blue eyes wide and a huge smile on her face.

_'He's a good kid on the tainted path of revenge for a clan that would have sacrificed him in a heartbeat.'_ Picking Sasuke up by his collar, he slammed the boy into the wall and held him up by his throat. _'That... is our destiny. One of hatred and vengance.'_

"You still don't have enough hate, Sasuke," Itachi muttered, watching impassively as the younger Uchiha struggled weakly in his grip, "And you know what? You never will. Perhaps you need a reminder as to what your goals are." He felt his Sharingan begin to warp and flow into it's next level. Sasuke could only stare in horror at his brother's pinwheeling eyes. He knew what would happen next.

_"Mangekyou Sharingan!"_

The blood. The sceaming. The absolute agony. Sasuke tried to resist; knew he wasn't strong enough. It took him a moment to realize that part of the screaming was coming from him.

"You're weak, little brother."

Bodies falling, drenched in blood. His clan members being slaughtered again and again in front of his seven year old self. People he didn't even recognize begging for mercy; for a swift death. A girl smiling innocently, offering him a bottle of nail polish.

_'Wait! What?'_ the younger Uchiha vaguely questioned that phantom image. There was no pain associated with it. No anger, or regret, even. Just a numb shock, a bit of embarrassment, and a slight longing. Fighting admirably against the older Uchiha's genjutsu, he caught several other flashes of the same girl.

Was his brother really tripped up by a simple dog? Took care of this girl when she got sick? Carried her back home when she twisted her ankle? Breathed life into her when she'd almost drowned? These instances of a kinder brother that he'd thought was nothing more than a facade that had been enacted on him. It was... confusing. Who was she? Was she important to Itachi?

Itachi cursed inwardly and pulled back the Tsukuyomi. How was it that making his younger sibling stronger caused him to think about **her**, of all people? It was absolutely **not fair**!

_'I __**am not**__ doing anything wrong!'_ Itachi thought vehemently, glaring at his brother in agitation. Sasuke grimaced when the older Uchiha's hand tightened around his throat, but he managed to get out his next sentence.

"So... Did you kill her too?" the younger boy's voice was hoarse from his screaming, but Itachi caught the words easily. And it pissed him off. How **dare** the boy assume that he'd kill Kagome?

He watched impassively as Sasuke's small body arced across the hall before realizing that he had thrown the boy in his anger. He really needed to get a grip on that.

Shortly after hauling the boy up again and knocking him out, the legendary Jiraiya finally decided to take action. There was no way he wanted to go up against the Toad Sage. Itachi safely assumed that it was time to beat a hasty retreat... preferably before they ended up in the digestive tract of the frog they were now in.

Using Amaterasu, though, had been a bad idea. Combined with the effort it had taken to re-control the Mangekyou properly, the use of the black flame technique, and the desperate need to escape from the ANBU persuing them, it had used up any remaining chakra he'd had left.

"So, we're just going to run again?" Kisame growled out, throwing a glare at his quiet partner as they sped across the small river, "We seem to be doing a lot of that."

"There's no rush for now. We'll get Naruto when the time is right," Itachi replied, avoiding Kisame's gaze and concentrating on maintaining his balance, "Besides, I felt it wise to find some place to rest for a while and recharge my powers." The two S-class criminals continued to make their way to a resting point.

_'On top of Tsukuyomi, to have to use Amaterasu as well; it was more exhausting than I thought,'_ the Uchiha mused, gritting his teeth silently when his Sharingan faded. He didn't have the chakra to keep it activated any more.

Several miles later, the Sharingan user blacked out from sheer exhaustion, much to his partner's horror.

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He groaned as he began to regain consciousness. He **hated** when using the Tsukuyomi drained him like that. It always felt like dealing with a pounding headache, itchy eyes, and a dry mouth.

Funny, most people would associate those symptoms with a hangover.

"He's waking up!" Itachi hadn't wanted to kill his partner more than right now. The shark-man's voice was grating against his skull painfully.

"Kisame... Shut. Up."

"Good to see you're back to normal, Itachi," Kisame stated loudly, grinning sharply when the Uchiha hissed and glared murderously at him. A light scuffle caught his attention, and he barely restrained the urge to bolt up in shock.

Kagome was walking into the room with a glass of water, a bottle of Advil, and a concerned look on her pretty face.

He took back his former thought. He'd never wanted to kill Kisame more than he did **right now**. Why the **hell** was he in Kagome's house!

_'Why isn't she screaming? Or mad?'_ He was thankful she wasn't. The imagined headache almost made him pass out from pain again.

"I see you're awake," she whispered, handling him four tablets and the glass of water, "I was worried. Especially when this guy brought you in."

He nodded, swallowing the pills and taking a deep gulp of water, "Are you... all right? Did he hurt you?"

"Itachi... I'm not the one in bed right now from overuse of energy," Kagome replied in a deadpan. She made an excellent point.

"Kisame."

"What?"

"Out!"

"What!"

"Now!"

"Don't be stupid, Itachi! You're already near dead!"

"It's okay, Kisame-san," the priestess interrupted what was sure to be a huge fight and pasted a smile on her face, "I can handle him. He'll be fine."

Kisame glanced from the girl to the murderous looking Uchiha, shrugged and finally beat a hasty retreat.

"It's not my fault if you get yourself killed, girlie," the shark man sighed, waving absently as he disappeared somewhere else in Kagome's home.

"Thanks. You're support is immeasurable," Kagome ground out sarcastically, glaring huffily at the spot that the swordsman had previously occupied.

It took him a few moments, but he finally got up the courage to speak to her. "I'm surprised you're not screaming."

"I've seen some pretty interesting things, Itachi. One more hanyou isn't going to make much of a difference to me," the priestess shrugged, pulling up a chair and opening a book. It was one of the one's he'd given her before he left. A part of him swelled in pride at the thought of her reading it.

"I wasn't... I thought you would be upset," the prodigy muttered, completely on guard. This wasn't the normal Kagome reaction. Usually, she would be right in his face demanding why he'd just up and left.

"Your friend told me why. I... I understand. I can't ask you to always be there every time I get into trouble," the priestess replied, self-mocking coating her words, "And, unfortunately, I seem to be a trouble magnet."

"Yes. I can relate to Inuyasha a little now," he joked, smirking when she blushed and glared at him. Setting the book aside, she crawled onto the bed and hugged him suddenly.

"Don't scare me like that, okay?" Kagome sighed, playing absently with his hair, "I was really worried, you goof."

Itachi huffed quietly and muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like "not a goof". But, having her nearby again, he felt a calm that had deserted him settle over him again, and let himself relax completely into her arms.

A few quiet moments later, a prickling sensation traveled along Itachi's spine and he stiffened out of reflex. They weren't alone. And the faint signature he was picking up wasn't Kisame's.

"Itachi? What-!" the priestess started, jerking suddenly and shoving him back down on the bed. The movement jarred his head, but he avoided the sword that flashed out in their direction. Unfortunately, Kagome didn't. It slid right into her chest with a sickening crunch. She gasped in pain and coughed as she leaned over him protectively, blood dripping from her mouth morbidly and plopping onto his cheeks. Itachi lay there in an abnormal state of shock. She'd saved him. She'd pushed him aside and took a killing blow meant for **him**!

"What? Who-? Itach-! What's going... on?" Kagome rasped out, gapsing again in pain when the lade was wrenched from her. The priestess's arms buckled and she slumped down into the mattress, unable to support her weight. Itachi snapped out of it and sat up suddenly, kunai in his hand and blocking the strike that his opponent made for his throat. Glancing up, he let loose a string of curses. An ANBU had followed him and managed to get in.

"Kisa-"

"It won't do you any good. The shark man is dead," the ANBU replied in a young monotone, laying his weight against his standard issued blade and putting pressure on the missing nin. Itachi grit his teeth and fought to throw him off. he was at a distinct disadvantage; with his Sharingan inactive and his chakra reserves to low to make a get away. Besides, he **had** to try to save Kagome!

"Kagome! Hang on!" The bright light in her eyes was already starting to fade. He **couldn't** lose her! Not like this!

"I punctured one of her lungs. She won't live for much longer. And in the time that she does, she'll suffer horribly. For a missing nin, you seem to be rather incapable," the ANBU spoke, that unnatural monotone ringing in Itachi's ears. Even though the boy seemed eeriely familiar, he **hated** this kid, whoever he was. The mask was what bothered him the most. It was a porcelain face that he was sure he was supposed to recognize.

"You followed us."

"I've no need to do such a thing. I've known this place existed for quite some time," the boy sighed, an almost exasperated tone coloring his voice, "I thought you were one of the best. It seems that even someone as illustrious as you can fall."

"Who are you?" the Sharingan master hissed, finally throwing the ANBU off and scrambling off the bed. Sliding into a defensive stance, he hid his shock well when the boy mimicked him move for move. They stared eachother down for a few moments, waiting for one to make a move on the other.

"Who am I?" he whispered, straightening from his defensive crouch and holding up his sword, "I am the one who carved your destiny. I was the one that took hold and did what you could not. **I** was the one you fled to when your pathetic human emotions couldn't stomach the thought of killing your own clansmen." A sickening dread began to fill Itachi as the pieces started to fall into place. "And I am the one that will destroy her. Your ties to this girl **must** be broken. You **must not** let your emotions cloud your judgement! You **can not falter**! Not now, when your plans are still coming to frutation. Not for some slip of a girl!"

The boy lifted his free hand and peeled away the mask, letting it fall and shatter on the ground. Sharingan eyes bore into his own, set in a face that was a younger mirror of himself. Itachi was looking into his thirteen year old self again. And what he saw chilled him to the bone.

He was a monster.

"I am you, Itachi Uchiha." And then, the younger Itachi swung out his sword.

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Madara Uchiha paced worriedly next to Itachi's bed. They younger Uchiha had been unconscious for two days already, and the occasional spasmotic twitching that overcame the teenager had even him in near fits. With a high fever that his dangerously low immune system was having trouble fighting off, Madara had to wonder if Itachi would even make it out alive.

_'This isn't like him. How could he have been so careless as to waste all of his chakra?'_ the older male thought, turning to check on the feverish boy again, _'This is why I told Pein we __**needed**__ to find a new medic after Orochimaru ran off!'_ Itachi's breath rattled from his abused lungs as he went into another coughing fit; one that was progressively becoming worse.

"This is bad. If he dies right now, all my plans will be for nothing!" the founder hissed, glaring at the uncooperative Itachi. "How could you be so reckless, Itachi!"

Had he not been a shinobi of the highest calliber, Madara would have jumped when Itachi suddenly bolted upright, spluttering in agony and coughing sharply. Dragging the teenager to the sink in the bath room, the older man held the younger's hair away from his face as he threw up blood into the sink in an unusual act of kindness.

Itachi may have been an impudent child, but he was still training the boy.

"Why are you-!" Itachi managed to snap out before leaning over the sink again. Grasping erratically for the medicine cabinet, Madara quickly located the pills the boy would need in a moment. After slipping them to him, the older Sharingan user stepped back and let the former heir have some room.

"Are you going to tell me why you were so careless, Itachi?"

"... We encountered both Kakashi Hatake and the Sannin Jiraiya. I had to use Tsukuyomi multiple times and Amaterasu to escape. I overexerted my senses and paid for it," the younger male finally said after a few moments of silence, "Why are you helping me?"

Madara snorted in annoyance and rummaged through the linens closet. "It's not for your well-being. I need you to finish your training, Itachi."

Itachi didn't have the energy to mentally spar with the irate Uchiha right now, so settled for leveling a tired glare at him. He was still feeling off-balance from the after-effects of his nightmare and losing a good deal of blood. Glancing into the sink, he sneered in dsipleasure and flipped the faucet on.

"Get cleaned up, Itachi, and then get some actual rest. I have some things to go over with you when you've recovered," the older Uchiha sighed, pulling the younger away from the sink and thrusting a towel at the dizzy teenager.

"Yes," Itachi wheezed, stumbling over to the tap and turning the shower on. Madara nodded and turned to leave. "Wait."

"What-!" He turned just in time to receive the fist to his face, shattering the flamed mask he'd taken to wearing. Rearing back, Madara snarled in pain and hit the wall.

"That," the younger Uchiha snapped visciously, "was for her! Come near her again and **you will not live**!" With that, he shoved the older man out of the bath room and slammed the door shut angrily.

Madara hissed in agony and slowly began to peel the bits of his mask away. He was going to need a new one; not to mention something to reduce the swelling he could already feel surrounding his eye. How the **hell** had Itachi moved quickly enough when he was so obviously in pain?

_'Damned kid! I'll beat him back into submission if it's the last thing I do!'_ Stalking away furiously, the older Uchiha failed to re-evaluate what Itachi had told him.

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He couldn't take it anymore! That nightmare was the last straw! How was he supposed to retain his sanity when the sheer memory of Kagome was making him feel so horribly guilty? Would she really end up dead by his hand if he tried to regain ties with her? The thought was too chilling to even consider! Someone as bright and vibrant as Kagome deserved to live.

Something had to be done! And soon! Otherwise, there wouldn't **be** an Akatsuki when he was done with it!

After relishing the delicious feeling that giving Madara a black eye had invoked, he threw himself moodily into a shower and began to plan again.

He honestly did feel better, though.

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A/N: This chapter was actually very difficult for me to do. I'm actually going to go on a small hiatus for this story. My creativity is trickling with this storyline, and I'd prefer to do my next chapters well, as they're becoming important. So, it'll probably be a week or three before the next chapter comes out. Don't worry though. I'm working hard on trying to rekindle that creativity. After all, with this chapter, there are only a few more left. Probably between 8 and 10.

I love Jiraiya's little speech in the anime and had fun adding it in. He's such a crazy fun character.

The winner of the poll was Itachi/Kagome. Now, I've put up another one!

Anyways, please review!


	31. With Open Arms

Summary

In which Itachi comes crawling back to his best friend in remorse. And, somehow, she doesn't seem to mind so bad...

A/N: Music note on this. I highly recommend listening to Nickelback's "Savin' Me" when you're reading this chapter. It ties in extremely well with the emotions that are being portrayed in here. For all of you that have been waiting so patiently for me to get my act in gear, I really apologize. For what it's worth, I do believe I'm back. Thank you sooo much for your continued support! I really **really** appreciate it!

Much love all!

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He'd tried to do the right thing. And yet, his good intentions had gone completely to waste.

Itachi was miserable, and it had only taken a week into his exile to realize that. Being good was harder than he would have ever thought it could be. He never imagined he'd make it so long without her. In the three months he'd been gone, his agitation had grown by leaps and bounds. His temper got the better of him more often than not. He worried constantly about if she was even safe. And his almost non-existent relationship with Madara had fallen to tatters. He was furious with the older Uchiha, and yet, he had no proof to show that he'd been the one that had tried to drown Kagome.

_'Kagome... Are you safe?'_ He absently laid a hand across his heart. Even thinking her name hurt. Why did it hurt so much?

_'Because I'm weak. I let her in, and now I can't let her go,'_ he thought, gritting his teeth and turning to storm back up to his room. He'd been coming down to get something to eat, but the moment he pictured going in there with the other members of his team, his appetite evaporated. Halfway back upstairs, he was stopped by an unexpected person.

"Itachi? Shouldn't you be downstairs?" Konan asked, turning the corner in front of him and tilting her head slightly. It was the only indication of any kind of emotion from her. The kunoichi's voice remained toneless and her expression never once flickered. It was a mask that the woman had perfected a long time ago.

"Not hungry," the Uchiha muttered, trying to sidle past the woman and return to the solitude of his room. She stopped him quickly by smacking her palm against the hall. Itachi blinked and slowly slide his gaze over to the blue-haired woman. Gone was the impassive expression. Instead, she looked righteously pissed off. It was one of the few times that he could remember her showing so much emotion.

That her ire was directed at him had him a little wary and on guard.

"I'm getting sick of your sulking! If you continue to act in such a manner, Leader-sama is going to notice," Konan hissed, glaring angrily. The Sharingan user merely sent her an annoyed glance before trying to move past her again.

"Uchiha don't sulk." Oh, so he was back to **that** mindset?

Konan bit the inside of her cheek and cursed inwardly. Had she known the younger man had been acting off sooner, she would have done something about it. Sadly, Itachi wasn't the easiest person to read; neither was she the best at reading emotions. His attitude recently, however, seemed to be stemming from something that Madara had done to the teen. The only female member in the organization had a pretty good idea that whatever had transpired between the two Uchiha had something to do with that little tea girl of Itachi's. The thought alone had even her annoyed at the older Sharingan user. Then again, she'd **never **liked Madara.

It was time to try a slightly different approach. And since he seemed to be channeling his former clan's beliefs...

"I thought you were someone that didn't give up so easily," Konan spat, glaring at the younger member in annoyance, "Where's that famous Uchiha pride your clan used to brag about?"

Itachi stared at the only female in the Akatsuki for a moment before throwing his head back and barking out a laugh. "Uchiha pride? Look where that got them. They're all dead. I killed them. The moment that happened, **my** pride died with them." The former heir leveled a Sharingan enhanced glare at the blue-haired woman, "I have... no pride. None left to use, to give... Nothing."

_'What, exactly, is she talking about?'_

"Were you not proud that she called you friend. That she cared about you?" How had the subject changed from pride to talking about **her**, of all people?

"To care would damn her for as long as she lived," he answered, the words so quiet Konan had to lean in to catch them, "I can't... I can't let another innocent life stain my hands. I would lead her into destruction. She can't follow me down this path."

They were silent for a moment before Konan did something rather unexpected. She raised her arms and pulled the Uchiha into a hug. "You can't decide for her if she wants to follow you, Itachi." Taking a deep breath, she continued, "All you can do is choose to protect her with everything you have when she says yes."

Tamping down on her emotions and the images of Yahiko flashing before her, Konan offered what little comfort she could give the S-Class criminal. "Don't let go of something that may be the greatest thing in your life. Loneliness... is a way of life to some. But... there are people that **need** other people. People to protect."

"You keep saying that," Itachi muttered, his breaths coming out in gasps, "Protect. What if you **can't** protect them?"

Sasuke flashed before him, young and seven again. Innocent, gullible, and completely maleable.

Kagome smiled happily at him as she showed him how to make cookies as the snow fell outside.

How could he hope to protect his important people if they were being targeted by someone even he couldn't quite defeat?

"You're not a killer, Itachi," Konan sighed, leaning back and brushing Itachi's bangs from his face, "You know that, somewhere in your heart, it's the truth. And, try as he might, Madara can't destroy that need inside you to protect someone."

Itachi bit the inside of his cheek, emotions warring inside him as badly as the time he made the decision to save his little brother by annihilating the clan.

"She needs you," the kunoichi spoke, conviction in her words.

"... I need to think," the Sharingan user finally whispered, backing away from the understanding shining in the amber eyes watching him and whirling away. He had to get out. He needed to get away.

He needed to be alone. He needed to understand **why** his heart clenched when he even thought of the word _alone_.

He left the Akatsuki hideout in a flurry of confusion.

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His feet carried him automatically throught the forest, trees blurring by as he jumped from branch to branch easily. It didn't really matter where he ended up; so long as he could figure out an answer as to why he felt so... desolate.

"I'm a fool. I've always been alone. There's no reason as to why I should worry about such a thing," Itachi snapped, glaring angrily at the passing scenery.

_'There is an old saying that you don't know what you're missing until it's gone. I always thought it ridiculous, but now that I'm experiencing it for myself...'_ the Sharingan master thought, shaking his head almost absently as he performed a complicated flip in mid-air with an air of distraction.

Why was she the only thing he could see? Why did he feel like she could **save** him? It was ludacris!

_'I can't let my emotions overrule everything I've been working towards.'_ Another part of his disagreed vehemently. That part of him **wanted** to be surrounded by people. That part of him that he'd supressed for so long was screaming to break free. He knew, though, that if he let it out, the consequences would be devestating. More than one life would end up being destroyed.

Why couldn't that side of him **see** that? That caring, pacifist side that he forced himself to bar away every time he had to accept a mission from Pein. Every time Madara gave him lessons in the art of killing. Those bonds he'd forced on himself always weakened when he was around Kagome. She soothed that tired piece of his soul that was furious about the lot he'd been dealt in life; about the injustice that he was forced to serve out in order to save his little brother. **She** understood. She **understood**!

_'But does she really? I feel I can trust her, but can I trust myself?'_

Blinking suddenly, he came back to himself and realized with a jolt that he was standing outside her door for the first time in three months. Sucking in a breath in shock, he couldn't believe that he hadn't been watching where he was going! How could he have been so careless? To end up at her doorstep once again was inconceivably ironic.

_'Can I really prevent her from being hurt by me; whether intentionally or not?'_ Reaching out a hand, he grasped the doorknob and turned. It clicked open and he shook his head ruefully. She never locked the door, despite every time he protested! It really bothered him that she would be so careless. Maybe he'd show her why. _'Some random person could just wander in and kill her, damn it! Has she no sense of self-preservation? Was my exile completely in vain?'_

Riding on his annoyance, he crept on silent feet into the house that he'd started to call home. Everything looked the same. Had it really been three months since he'd been here? While he'd been emtionally tormenting himself, it seemed that all was well here.

_'Maybe... It __**is**__ better this way,'_ Itachi thought, sliding along the wall and feeling distinctly like he was breaking some sacred code. He wasn't supposed to be here... right?

Right?

_'Just one look. It will settle my nerves and allow me to move on permenantly.'_ He passed down the hall that led to the rest of the house, the sharp scent of acrylics filling his nose.

_'She's painting...'_ A memory flashed in his mind; of another time when she'd shown him her picture of another woman that looked similarly like her. Kikyo had been her name.

_"I was so homesick for everyone that I holed myself up in here and drew and painted until I'd made a little peace with not being able to go back." _

Was she doing the same thing now? What could she possibly be upset about? Fury filled him at the thought, and he swore he would find out and make that person sorry. Ducking into the den, he noted several things scattered around the cozy room. He could remember dozing off in this same room on more than one occasion. Books here and there; paints placed haphazardly around the coffee table. But no sign of the woman he was searching for. At the moment, though, he wasn't concerned with that. His eyes were drawn to the portrait the priestess had been working on.

It was him. It had to have been the first time they'd met too. He was holding a tiny bottle of nail polish and looking a little frustrated. Kagome obviously paid attention to details; the former heir could almost believe that his picture self would step out of the canvas at any moment.

_'... But... Why me?'_ His gaze caught another picture. He was dressed in his Akatsuki cloak, staring up at something with a slightly surpised look as the sun filtered light through the trees...

_'I remember that day. I was supposed to meet Zetsu and she found me somehow.'_ It took him a moment to realize it, but then he could have smacked himself. These two pictures were from **her** point of view! He looked a little more closely then. Had she really surprised him that day in the tree? And then a thought caught him.

_'Could she possibly be upset because of my abrupt departure?'_ If that were the case, he wouldn't need to make himself feel sorry. He already felt incredibly guilty.

A sound in the direction of the kitchen reminded him of the fact that he was **definitely** not alone in the house.

_'Time to figure out why she's being so reckless.'_ On silent feet, Itachi crept into the kitchen and up behind the absent-minded priestess. What he really wanted to do was storm in there and demand her to be more wary, but he was almost afraid that she'd try to instinctively kill him with a kitchen knife... or purify him.

"You're lucky I'm not an enemy," he whispered right into her ear, making her jerk suddenly and drop the cup of tea she'd been holding. It shattered loudly and the noise made him want to wince. It was a good thing there wasn't any tea in it. She whipped around, her long hair swishing around her erratically, and faced him in shock.

"Ita-!"

"Don't!" the Sharingan master hissed, clapping a hand over her mouth and glaring at her. The steely glint in his eyes melted away as he looked her over to make sure she was okay. Why did she look so tired? Had she lost some weight?

Kagome stood frozen, unsure of what to do. For one, she wanted to throw herself at the Uchiha and thank the gods that he was okay while sobbing into his familiar black cloak. For another, she wanted to beat the living daylights out of him for worrying her so much. Did he have **any** idea how upset she'd been when he just up and left?

"You... left the door unlocked," Itachi finally finished lamely, inwardly wanting to punch himself. Three months ago, he'd thought about what he'd say. What excuses he could make to melt away the anger. Now...

"I... I know. Otherwise, you'd crawl in through the window," the priestess answered, her words muffled a little by his hand.

"I... see," he replied hesitantly, letting his hand drop as he cradled her face gently. Her skin was still soft, just like he'd remembered. She stood achingly still, wondering what he was going to do next. Worry and reassurance were warrring it out inside her, and worry was winning.

Which meant she was getting angry again.

Itachi raised his other hand, almost in a trance, and pushed her bangs out of her face. In the next heartbeat, he pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her; the first time he ever intiated physical contact with her, and reassuring himself that, yes, she **was** standing right in front of him. Yes, she **was** alive and breathing. Yes, all the old emotions that he thought he'd buried visciously three months ago were surfacing again with a **vengance**. Worry was laid to rest. Anxiety was no longer an issue. The hot ball of anger clenched in his chest was sputtering out into nothing.

_'I missed this,'_ the former heir thought absently, letting his fingers drag through the dark-haired girl's long hair gently. It was still so very soft.

_'I missed... her.'_

Being with her felt like... like...

_'Like finally coming home after a long war,'_ he thought, burying his nose in her sweet smelling hair as an almost giddy feeling he didn't quite understand started to overtake him. He'd missed that too. And her laugh. And her smiles. And her hands-

She pushed away from him and he felt the sting on his cheek before he really realized it.

-slapping the crap out of him? Yeah. He didn't miss that. At all. Why did she slap him?

"Why did you-!"

Kagome shrieked angrily and stalked away from the Uchiha, and he stopped talking abruptly when she rounded on him, an unholy fury lit in her blue eyes. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but she looked absolutely terrifying like that. Not even under pain of death.

"Don't you **dare** ask me that! Do you know how **worried** I was, Itachi Uchiha? You stupid-! Yes! I called you stupid! _NO! YOU __**WILL**__ STAND THERE AND NOT MOVE_! How could you-! I can't believe-! I thought you were **dead**! I thought someone had killed you or kidnapped you! _DON'T GIVE ME THAT LOOK, PAL! I __**DID**__ SAY KIDNAPPED_! I thought you were **lost**! I thought-" her voice broke, no longer able to support her shouting and she whipped away from him with tears in her eyes, "I thought... you hated me. That you didn't want anything to do with me anymore." She turned back and he visibly flinched at the absolute misery in her blue eyes.

"Did I do something wrong? Are you mad at me?" It made his heart clench painfully to hear her say that. "Is that... why you left?"

"... I deserved this, I suppose," he finally sighed, letting his hand drop from his stinging cheek, "The yelling, the screaming... that slap." She lowered her head so that her shaggy bangs covered her eyes.

"I was... I was worried, Itachi," the priestess croaked out, wincing in pain. She'd screamed herself hoarse at this point, "You're my only friend in this world. I was worried sick. I couldn't even... I was about to quit work. I **failed** the entrance exam at the hospital. I stopped going to the new orphange because Shizuka and the other kids kept **asking** about **you**! It hurt-!"

"To not know?" he interrupted quietly, cutting her off suddenly. He closed the few dozen steps between them restlessly and gripping her arms tightly, "To not have any inkling about whether or not you were safe? To cut myself off so abruptly? To just... leave? Do you think it was any easier for me? I never asked for this!"

Kagome stared up at him, wide-eyed and just a little afraid. What... was going on?

"I never asked for you to talk to me about nail polish!" the Sharingan user hissed, dark eyes livid and his voice beginning to rise, "I never asked for you to let that monster of a dog knock me over and drool all over me! I never asked for you to get sick from standing in the rain, thereby **guilting** me into caring about your health! I **never** asked to be treated the way you've treated me!" At this point, he was the one shouting hoarsely. "To actually be respected and spoken to like I'm not a wanted fugitive that slaughtered everyone I **ever** cared about! To be forced to push the only living relative I have into the role of avenger to give him even the **tiniest** chance of survival! To be accepted **completely and fully** by someone that I shouldn't get involved with! To be given gifts and memories I **don't** need! I **never**-!"

Itachi froze, the words he'd been saying finally catching up with him as he watched Kagome with wide eyes.

_'I... I didn't...'_

"... You... what?"

"..."

_'This... this wasn't how I was supposed to tell her. It was supposed to be different. I-!'_ His lungs seized for a moment in his panic and the room spun as he coughed harshly.

"Itachi!"

Somehow, she was still next to him, almost carrying him to the kitchen sink before he coughed up blood into it. Dizzily, he began to realize that it was a lot more than usual.

_'I'm... getting worse. But... Why? I've been so careful-!'_ Gagging again, he leaned over the sink once more.

"Itachi! What's wrong? Why-! What's going on?" He could hear her frantically calling for him; he couldn't respond. Wouldn't be able to until the fit passed. Shaking his head, he feebily pushed her away as he continued coughing. A moment later, he felt her healing powers stir to life as she laid her hands on his back. It was soothing, but pointless.

"Don't. You can't... You can't fix this."

"Ye-yes I can. Let me help you! I can fix-!"

"There's no cure," Itachi finally wheezed, steadying himself on the counter and pulling the roll of paper towels towards him. Leaning over, he flipped on the tap and drank straight from it, rinsing his mouth out, "There's no cure. I've looked. There is no way to fix this unless I find one of the best healers out there. Unfortunately, I **know** she wouldn't help me."

"What..." Kagome started, swallowing the urge to suddenly cry. Deep in her gut, she knew what his answer to her next question would be, "What do you mean 'There's no cure'?"

He staggered over to his designated chair and collapsed tiredly into it. She'd never seen him look so... tired. So... defeated. It wasn't right.

"I'm dying."

Her hands clenched tightly, and she shook her head visciously. Denial surged harshly through her. He **couldn't** say that! Not when she'd just gotten him back!

"You can't fix me, Kagome," he chuckled mockingly, smirking when she stared at him sadly, "I'm not worth saving anyway."

"You..." the priestess hissed suddenly, looking furious again. He flinched inwardly. There was no way he had the energy to go toe-to-toe with her right now. "**Don't. You. Dare.**"

"Don't what! Say that? Please, I came to terms with my eventual death a long time ago."

"NO! Don't say that you're not worth saving! You're worth it! And I say so!" Kagome snapped, snatching his wrist suddenly when he tried to rise and bringing her face within inches of his, "You think I'll just let you walk away like that? Tell me everything you know about this... whatever it is!"

"Lung disease," the former heir supplied thickly, tugging at his capture wrist. She dropped it quickly, "I caught it at some point in my childhood. Hell, I never should have been a ninja. My health wasn't supposed to allow it. But, father pushed, and I obeyed; like the fool I was. I don't know the name, as there's very little research done on it. All I know is that everyone that has had it dies eventually, depending on how much strain you put on the body."

"And as a ninja, you do a lot more than you're really supposed to," the priestess muttered, looking upset all over again, "You... you said some things earlier. Are they... Are they true?"

Itachi bit the inside of his cheek and cursed himself again. She really had been paying attention to what he'd been shouting. Finally, after a moment, he nodded. "I owe you... an explanation about that."

"You don't have to right now. You've been through a lot today. It's okay." Kagome wanted to give him a chance to recover before she grilled him about all the nerve-racking things he'd shouted at her.

"And yet, here I am; back for more emotional abuse. I wasn't supposed to become attached, you know. I just... You see me as human. And that is something that no one has ever bothered to understand." Itachi said it so casually, you'd think he was talking about the weather.

"I wouldn't..." the dark haired girl licked her lips and locked eyes with him, "I would never try to purposely hurt you, Itachi. I've said things that were wrong. I let my temper get the better of me. But, you're someone I care a great deal about. I would never want to hurt you intentionally."

"I know that. And yet... I shouldn't be forming these attachments. I shouldn't be reaching out," the former heir sighed, holding out a hand and taking one of her's unexpectedly. Pulling it close, he stared down at her small fingers and rubbed his thumb over the back of her palm. "But... I don't want to let go."

A moment that seemed a lifetime later, Kagome stepped close and let him lean into her. "Then don't. Don't let go. I won't let you fall, Itachi. You're not alone anymore."

_'I know. And that's what scares me more than anything.'_ The Sharingan user let out a breath and rested his head against her side. Despite the fears, he was filled with an overwhelming sense of peace; of true belonging. One that he'd never thought he'd have the chance to enjoy.

"... Okay." She smiled, finally understanding that this time, he was actually saying,

_"Thank you."_

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

_Show me what it's like _

_to be the last one standing_

_And teach me wrong from right _

_and I'll show you what I can be _

_Say it for me, say it to me_

_and I'll leave this life behind me_

_Say it if it's worth savin' me _

-Nickelback, _Savin' Me_

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A/N: Oh dear. He seems to have let his past slip out. It was not my intention to do that, either. I do like how it turned out though. Kagome will have her answers very shortly. First, she's gotta fix Itachi. He's made a very important decision now, as far as emotionally goes. Let's just hope he can stick with it this time. Stubborn Uchiha.

Konan managed to worm her way back into the storyline. Yay for Konan-help!

Anyways, lots of drama in this chapter! Their reunion wasn't quite what you thought it would be, was it? Now she knows he's sick. Don't think Kagome won't try to do something about it. She will try. Trust me. Their emotional situation has been upped a little more, so that means even more fluffy possibilities. Oh joy and rainbows.

New poll put up. I'm not sure how it happened, but the old one got erased. Now, though, there are lots more choices, so I hope you'll participate!

Don't forget to leave a review!


	32. Training Exercise

Summary

In the process of training, he realizes that her aim is abominable, as well as a few other things...

A/N: So, this is a little more light-hearted than the last chapter. It is also probably the **most** important one too. I just thought that this would be incredibly amusing!

This chapter is a lot longer also. Please don't expect the others to be this long. I felt the need to reward you guys for your patience with me. Also, I wanted to get everything in this segment fleshed out and ready for the next few chapters. Oh, I'm so excited! I hope you enjoy!

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Today was June 9. He hated this day.

True, it was his birthday, and he was now nineteen. On that disturbing note, there was a good chance the others would possibly attempt to throw him a 'party'. Last year had been difficult enough; what with the enormous deal Kisame had made about him being 18. Not to mention the threat of strippers. It was a day he'd shoved deep into his head along with all the other traumatizing memories he'd experienced. AKA- his entire childhood. This year, he wanted nothing more than to stay the hell away from the base and do something leisurely and productive.

... Maybe he'd start training Kagome today.

_'Anything to keep away from here.'_ With that thought in mind, Itachi gathered several weapons scrolls and some interesting theory books before sneaking discreetly out of the base.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

After a dizzying trip into the village that took much less time than it should have, Itachi quietly let himself into the priestess's house.

_'I am going to teach her how to set traps,'_ he thought, annoyance briefly flickering across his features as he shut and locked the door, _'and maybe how to use her damn key!'_

It was nice being back in Kagome's home. Everything had slipped back into a sense of normalcy for him after their initial reunion about a week ago, and other than the occasional worried glance, the priestess in question had bounced back and was as cheerful as he remembered.

_'The fact that this feels normal to me is a testiment to my state of insanity. I'm surely putting her in danger, and yet... I can't really find it in myself to care.'_ It was true. While he was definitely on guard about a potential attack on the innocent girl, he was more thrilled to be in her presence than anything else. The pacifist in him had stopped railing angrily. The killer inside was also quietly content, and his world had balanced itself back out again. Life was finally back to the way it should be, in his opinion.

Padding in the direction of the den, the faint smell of paints reached his nose before he turned into the small living area, curiosity rearing in his head. What was she painting this time? Pulling the black cloak from his shoulders, Itachi laid it over the nearest chair and quietly tiptoed over to Kagome. He was sure it wouldn't have mattered if he'd led a heard of elephants through the den; the priestess was extremely focused on her work, at the moment. Leaning over her shoulder, it took a few seconds to realize what she was putting onto the canvas.

"That's the clearing where the well is, correct?" the prodigy murmured quietly, trying not to make her jump. He failed, unfortunately, and if it hadn't been for his superior reflexes, Kagome would have smeared paint horribly across the half-finished portrait. Instead, he captured the hand with the paintbrush centimeters before it touched the canvas.

"Itachi!" the priestess squeaked, meeting his gaze with shocked blue eyes. He was close enough to her again that he could see the flecks of grey in them, reminding him that her eyes weren't completely jewel-toned. Which meant their noses were practically touching. "You scared me."

"I apologize, Kagome. I thought you heard me come in," he whispered, leaning away a little to put some distance between them. For a moment, his vision swam with his rapidly beating heart, and a part of him whined in annoyance at stepping away from her. He proceeded to squash that whiny voice as thoroughly as possible.

"It's okay! I was just passing the time," she replied, taking a deep breath and setting the wet brush in a cup to clean. She'd been so close to ruining her picture that she needed a moment to gather her wits before she tried again. Turning to the stoic Uchiha she proceeded with her next question, "So, what's up?"

"Nothing really. I thought today would be a good day to start training you, since it's not raining," the prodigy answered, wincing slightly when the priestess let out a hoot of excitement. Jumping from her seat by the window, she danced a ridiculous jig around him while she happily sang about training. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone respond to the word 'training' the way you just did."

"Sorry! I'm just... tired of being useless, you know?" Kagome drooped a little, scuffing the floor with her bare foot in a painfully shy way, "You're the first person to ever sit down and try to help me like that. Everyone else just expected me to know what I was doing."

"You were never taught the basics? In anything?" She shook her head rapidly and flinched when he glared at nothing in particular. "And they just assumed you would survive on, what? Sheer dumb luck?"

"That's about how I managed to live through the gathering of the Jewel Shards," the priestess admitted sheepishly, "I picked up some things here and there, though. And Sango showed me a couple of moves sometimes." Itachi sighed rather loudly and ran a hand through his hair in agitation. It looked like he was going to have to start from square one. Inwardly, he groaned. He'd hoped that she'd at least have some form of training.

_'No time like the present to start. I can imagine killing her idiotic friends later.'_

"Very well. First things first, you need to go change," the Uchiha started, a professional business-like tone creeping into his voice. He'd never actually had a student before, but he was sure it wouldn't be **too** difficult. After all, if **Kakashi Hatake** could do it, then Itachi could breeze through this! He was, after all, a genius.

"What should I wear?" The Sharingan user glanced over her current attire and willed the heat from his cheeks. Despite being in an oversized shirt and knee-length shorts with various colorful paint smudges on it, she looked... cute today. It was the only way to describe it, as much as it made him want to twitch.

"Something you won't mind getting dirty," he replied, nodding in the direction of her room upstairs to find something else to change into.

"... What kind of training are we doing, exactly?"

"A little of everything." Kagome blinked, then nodded slowly as she grinned up at him. Why was she smiling like that?

"I'm warning you now, Itachi. You have your work cut out for you." With that line delivered, the priestess scrambled off to go find something else to put on.

"Kagome!"

"Hmm?" She stopped and turned-

-only to have the Uchiha standing a hairs' breath away from her. Reaching out a hand, Itachi used his thumb to wipe at her cheek.

"You have a smudge. Make sure to clean that." Cheeks dark red in embarrassment and heart pounding erratically, Kagome nodded and dashed up the stairs.

"Get a grip, Kagome-girl. You're acting ridiculous," she muttered to herself, shaking her head visciously and banishing the image of the young man downstairs with the light of amusement in his dark eyes. Rummaging quickly through her closet, she stripped off her painting clothes and donned a set of robes she'd sworn she'd never wear again. Glancing in the mirror, Kagome snorted distastefully and secured her long hair in a high tail.

"I really do look like Kikyo now." Waving off her annoyance, the former time traveler flounced down the stairs and presented herself to the Uchiha waiting patiently for her. He blinked slowly, let his gaze travel up and down her for a moment, then shook his head and pointed back up the stairs.

"No. You are not wearing that."

"Why not? I don't care if it gets dirty!" Kagome whined, crossing her arms petulantly over her chest and huffing. Between one heartbeat and the next, Itachi had swept her over his shoulder and started carrying her up the stairs. "Itachi! Put me down! I **can** walk!"

"Not if you're being stubborn. Your sleeves will catch on everything, and I'm sure you don't need any help in tripping yourself up anymore than you already do," the former heir replied, stepping into her room and depositing her back on her feet. He then proceeded to sift through the contents of her closet to find something better suited, "Besides, I thought you didn't want to be compared to Kikyo." That stopped her protests immediately. While he had to admit that the two girls **did** look remarkably similar, he still preferred Kagome.

After a few minutes of searching, and wondering **how** she would even wear some of the things in her closet, he unearthed a pair of soft dark blue cotton capris and an equally soft dark grey t-shirt. Glancing at her shoes, then discarding several options, he pulled out a pair of grey tennis shoes and handed the bundle to the priestess while gesturing in the direction of her bath room.

"Now, go change. Then we'll go."

"... Fine," she grumbled after a moment of staring him down. Kagome loped off to the other room to change. While she did that, Itachi picked up a pair of precariously tall strappy pink stilettos with his finger, then shook his head and tossed them aside.

_'Honestly, she'd break her neck before she'd get out the door in those.'_

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"Firstly, I'd like to see how your aim is," Itachi started, handing her a holster of kunai and pointing at the tree in front of them about fifteen paces, "Hit that tree. It doesn't have to be in the center." He hoped this wasn't going to turn out like her pathetic archery lessons he'd watched a few times. Kagome gave him a painful look, then stared down at the throwing knives with trepidition. Swallowing, she finally pulled one out and gazed at the shiny surface.

"How... How do I hold it?" she asked timidly, glancing at him in question. The Uchiha blinked, then back up his mindset several steps. Right. Newbie. He needed to start at the **very beginning**. After carefully showing her how to position her fingers so that she wouldn't slice them open, or off, he slowly demonstrated several easy techniques for throwing them properly. Kagome applauded each time he hit the tree, and though it was a ridiculously easy accomplishment, he was still glowing with pride inwardly.

"Your turn. Remember what you just learned and try to use those techniques." Nodding with a little more confidence, the priestess turned to face the tree and fluidly drew the kunai from its' sheath. Itachi inwardly congratulated himself. Teaching wasn't so hard. He didn't see why his sensei had complained so much! His heart almost stopped when, instead of flinging the extremely sharp projectile forward, Kagome's fingers slipped and his own kunai head **straight for him**! Only his superior reflexes saved his eye from being jabbed out. Catching the blade swiftly, he leveled a flabbergasted look at the horrified girl now facing him.

"Itachi! I'm so sorry! Are you okay? My fingers-! They just-! Tell me you're okay?" she babbled hysterically, dropping the remaining blades in shock and starting over to him. He held up a hand to delay her inevitable crash into him to inspect for possible harm on his person.

"It's fine. I'm fine. I caught it in time." Holding up the kunai, he watched her breathe a sigh of relief, tears pricking in the corners of her eyes.

"Maybe... this isn't such a good idea," she mumbled, hanging her head in failure.

"I'll just stand somewhere else, Kagome. Try again, but keep your grip a little tighter," the prodigy encouraged, stepping off to the side and watching her form. After two more near fatal accidental attempts, he resorted to hiding **behind** his current tree, not trusting her to fling the next one his way.

"Are you **sure** this is a good idea, Itachi? I've almost killed you a few times," Kagome asked again, awkwardly throwing the next blade and missing the tree she was aiming for altogether. This was almost as disappointing as her archery training.

"I am perfectly capable of dodging errant kunais. Keep practicing." There was no way he was teaching her ninjutsu until she had a basic concept of chakra and balance.

A few hours later and two chakra explanation books later, he decided to come out of hiding and see how she was doing.

He had to hand it to her. For a somewhat-civilian, her aim with a kunai was, at best, tragic. Surveying his surroundings, and wondering how the **hell** she'd managed to almost kill him three different times, the Sharingan weilder realized that she was right. He really did have his work cut out for him. Glancing up, he almost did a double-take; something he'd prided himself on never doing.

_'Is that kunai... __**How**__ did she hit that tree branch way up there?'_

"Let's... take a break," Itachi sighed, throwing a slightly concerned look at a blushing Kagome when her stomach growled loudly. She merely grumbled an affirmative, gathered the kunai she could find or reach, and followed him sedately back to her house. She was too tired to complain, and it wasn't even noon yet!

"Have you found a comfortable way to throw them yet?" he asked a few moments later.

"I don't know. I felt like an idiot doing all those weird poses," the priestess muttered, shaking her head and raising one hand into her line of vision. It trembled slightly from the effort.

"You'll get used to it eventually. This will help you build up some more upper arm strength," Itachi explained, pulling a kunai idly from his holster and twirling it absently end over end before replacing it fluidly. Kagome stared at the action, amazed that he hadn't stabbed himself. She'd gotten several shallow cuts on her hands and arms just from trying to hold the damn things! "It is my hope that you will be able to achieve a more accurate hit rate within the month."

"So soon?" Kagome asked, surprise etched onto her features, "It took me forever to learn how to become even decently accurate with a bow.

"You said you taught yourself though," the Uchiha replied. The priestess nodded in the affirmative.

"There wasn't really time to be taught how to properly use and handle one." At his slightly confused look, she elaborated, "The hunt for the Jewel Shards? Defeating Naraku was more important than being more accurate."

"True. Your success rate, however, suffered greatly because no one took the time to show you the basics." An idea struck him suddenly. "Bring your bow with and we'll work on that too."

"You know how to use a bow?" the dark-haired girl choked out. Itachi nodded, an arrogant grin creeping onto his face.

"I **am** a ninja, Kagome," he teased gently, ruffling her hair and guiding her around a fallen tree. Even on her best days, Kagome was still a bit of a klutz. He was hoping to fix that too, but didn't plan on holding his breath. Some people were just naturally clumsy, and she just happened to be one.

"Yeah, yeah. I get it. Super ninja training and all that," the priestess scoffed, waving her hand in dismissal at the blank look he sent her. Shaking his head, Itachi muttered something under his breath and stopped her for a moment. Taking her by the shoulders, the former heir pulled her close enough that their noses almost touched.

"You **do** understand why I'm doing this, right? By going directly against what I'm supposed to, I am now not only putting my life on the line, I am also risking yours. It goes against **everything** I want to do."

"And what do you want to do, Itachi?" Kagome asked quietly, her blue eyes staring him down and insisting on the truth. Really, how was he supposed to resist her when she was watching him like that?

_'To run and take you with me,'_ he thought, swallowing the urge to actually say the words out loud.

"I want you to never have to be afraid of a ninja that could so easily try to take advantage of you. That is why I'm teaching you these things." Kagome sighed at the serious tone he'd taken and finally nodded.

"Okay. I get that you don't want me to get hurt. I know," she muttered, flushing in embarrassment, "I'm a walking talking trouble magnet. It's not like I don't know that. I guess... I'll try really hard. So don't be so worried, okay?"

Itachi huffed and released her, taking several steps away and gaining their distance again as he continued to try and will the heat from his face. He probably shouldn't have gotten so close to her. Why did he keep **doing** that?

_'I can't __**help**__ but worry. But why?'_

"For now, let's go eat! I'll race you there!" Kagome giggled, darting off in the direction of the village. Itachi blinked, let his worries slip away, and smirked as he gave chase. There was one thing he wouldn't have to work with her on very much. The girl was a fast runner.

_'Dodging shouldn't be much of a problem for her.'_

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After lunch, he chose to move on from target practice. He didn't think his nerves could take much more unintentional death threats at the moment.

"Hand-to-hand is easier to teach when you have an opponent to spar with."

"Right. And you're going to be my sparring partner?"

"Correct."

"But what if I hurt you on accident?" Kagome asked worriedly. Itachi gave her a blank stare.

"If you can land a decent hit on me, I'll step up your training."

"Itachi! Be serious!"

"I am being perfectly serious."

"I don't want to hurt you!"

"I am a trained professional, Kagome," the Sharingan user replied, sliding into a defensive stance and raising a hand, "Now, attack me."

The priestess stood there for a moment, wide-eyed and anxious, before raising a hand and slapping at his weakly. Itachi could feel his eye starting to twitch.

"Is that how you plan to evade someone that comes at you with intent to kill?" he asked dangerously soft, elicting a shiver from the girl. He stepped forward; she retreated. "When someone is trying to hurt you, you hurt them back." His hand snatched her wrist, pulling her to him closely. "When they target the people you care about, you take them out without hesitation." The former heir swept her feet out from under her, and Kagome landed on her back with a soft "Oomph!"

"And when you strike at them, you kill," Itachi whispered, kneeling over the paralyzed girl and tapping a fist against her throat.

Kagome took a deep breath and nodded, letting the Sharingan user pull her up. He proceeded to flip her over his arm and she went tumbling into the dirt again with a gasp.

"Itachi!"

"Do not think of me as friend, but foe."

"Do I really have to do this?" the priestess whined, sitting up and rubbing her back while throwing him a glare.

"If you wish to survive-" he stopped, the words he'd used on his brother at the tip of his tongue. That type of motovation wouldn't work on her. She'd give him a disturbed look, pat him on the head, and then offer him a cookie or some other such sugary confection. "If you wish to survive, you must remember that I won't go easy on you."

She pouted for a few more seconds before finally sighing and nodding. Itachi held out a hand to help her up and she took it again. _'She's not learning.'_ He moved to trip her up again as soon as she was on her feet. This time, Kagome flailed her arms, but didn't tumble to the ground. _'Not so helpless, then.'_

"Better, but your arms should remain close to your body, otherwise-," the former heir instructed, snatching one of her wrists and performing a series of tiny movements that had him wrapped around her, her wrists clamped in one of his hands and his other arm around her shoulders.

The priestess let a breath whoosh out when he not-so-gently pulled her back to his chest. "Otherwise, you'll end up trapped and unable to get loose. You're helpless now, without your hands. Completely at my nonexistant mercies." He whispered the last sentence into her ear and the almost intimate contact made her jerk suddenly and flush.

"Ah! Not... fair... Itachi!" Kagome growled out, wriggling against him in a way that suddenly sent shivers down his spine.

_'Make her __**STOP THAT**__!_' a voice deep inside him hissed. Instictively, he tightened his hold on her wrists and the arm banded around her spasmed just slightly. Why was he so... jittery?

"Owww!" Kagome gapsed breathlessly, wondering what was up with the prodigy, all of the sudden. He was acting... odd. Like he wasn't actually there anymore.

Standing there wrapped around the weakly struggling girl, it hit him like a tons of bricks suddenly. He almost staggered from the revelation. Like being slugged in the stomach by a significantly stronger fighter. Like a chakra charged fist swinging in to deliver-

Okay! He got it!

He was irrevocably, irreversably, completely and utterly **in love**. With Kagome. Oh. Hell.

_'But... when? How?'_ and then, when his mind had barely caught up with the base facts, it reeled off in a completely different direction with the thought of something else, _'WHY? This... This is __**not**__ in the plan! The plan was perfect! The plan was faultless! __**The plan**__ was __**my ticket**__ to freedom!'_ And then... And then she'd come along, brandishing a bottle of nail polish and ruining everything he'd carefully worked for with her cute smile and pretty smelling hair and sparkly blue eyes and-

His jaw went slack for a moment. Hellfire and damnation! Now that he realized what exactly was wrong with him, he had it **bad**! He could wax poetic if he wanted to; and somewhere in the back of his head, a voice that sounded suspiciously like Kisame whistled _"I told you so!"_ while giggling manically about the poetic bit.

This **was not** happening! He was an S-class criminal. He'd killed more people than he could take the time to count. He'd massacred his clan without blinking an eye. He was in cahoots with an organization that was hell-bent on taking over the world!

_'This is __**not**__ happening! Only fools fall in love!'_ He glanced down at Kagome, whom was watching him with concern through lowered lashes; long pretty lashes that kissed her flushed cheeks when she blinked her blue eyes-

_'Stop it! Right now! This is __**not**__ the place or the __**time**__ for such ridiculous thinking!'_ But then, when was, in his life. He dropped his arms suddenly and backed away several steps, eyes a little too wide, breaths coming a little too short. He needed to get away. Now. Before he did something stupid. Like lean back over and sniff her hair again.

Or kiss her.

"Itachi?" His hand twitched, the sudden desperate need to do just that filling him.

"... I need a moment." And then he was gone, leaving a bewildered Kagome behind in a growing state of panic.

"...Did I do something wrong?"

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

Several hundred yards away, he paced rapidly in another clearing of the forest, mind whirling erratically from one point to the next with dizzying speed.

_'Okay. I love her.'_ Check.

_'She's nice and sweet.'_ Check.

_'I have no problems talking about whatever I want because she'll listen and not fly completely off the handle.'_ Check.

_'I still need to tell her about my bloody past.'_ Check.

_'She's from another world.'_ Even though it was insane to believe it, Check.

_'She is __**not**__ Uchiha.'_ Check. No matter what Kisame says.

_'She is __**excellent**__ with children.'_ Check.

_'I could see her with __**my**__ children.'_ Flushing darkly at that thought, Itachi put a tiny mental check next to that one too. Actually, he hadn't even considered the idea of children until Kagome had come along. Taking a deep breath, he stopped and stared off into space, then cursed out loud and flung a shuriken at the nearest tree.

"I'll put her in danger. I could get her killed. Affiliating with me would immediately mark her as 'Kill on Sight'. I don't want her to get hurt." And then another thing occured to him.

"She's been through so much already." Grinding his teeth, the Uchiha glared hatefully at the tree, rationality fighting a war with recently awakened emotions. Emotions he was sure he'd never get the chance to have. Emotions that he had no real understanding of.

He froze when he thought of something else.

"I just left her there all alone!" Itachi hissed out loud in shock, darting back in the direction he'd left the priestess.

_'Stupid fool! How could you just leave her?'_ that tiny voice in his head snapped as he flipped through trees and bound over boulders. _'What if she's killed?'_ The thought alone made him move that much faster.

A few moments later, he was skidding to a halt in front of a windswept Kagome, absently checking to make sure she wasn't hurt. She blinked innocently at him and worried her lip. He tried every tactic in his head to keep from watching that tiny movement. Of course, he failed. For once. Damn his jittery emotions.

"Are you okay? Did I do something wrong?"

"No!" he answered, a little too quickly and breathless for his liking. He was warm. Too warm. And if he wasn't exceedingly careful, he was going to do something ridiculous.

"Do we need to stop? Are you feeling sick?"

"No. I'm fine," Itachi answered again, this time calmly and with a slight bite. Damn his illness for revealing itself to her! "Let's continue. Keep your arms close."

"Right. Arms close," Kagome repeated, tucking them close to her body in a defensive way. It was a move that he'd seen before, and had to inwardly congratulate her. So she **did** have a little training here and there. It was just so minimal that she would need a complete overhaul.

"Now, show me a fist."

She gave him a deadpan stare before bringing up a fist. Reaching over, he tightened the fist and tucked her thumb under. She blinked, giving him a questioning stare.

"Leaving your thumb out like that gives you a higher risk of breaking it," Itachi explained, patting her fist and letting it drop. The priestess glanced at her hand for a second, then grinned. "Now, punch me."

Kagome swung out, visciously aiming for his head, and Itachi leaned to the side. The dark-haired girl went sprawling into the grass.

"Too wild. You need more control. Don't use every bit of your weight until you're better centered. Now, do it again."

Kagome nodded, gritting her teeth and getting up. She **would** land a hit on him before the day was done! An idea suddenly popped into her head. She wasn't sure if it would work, considering it was Itachi, but then, it was worth a shot to knock him off balance.

"Sooo... Does this mean I should start calling you Itachi-sensei?" His heart skipped a beat and his face was red in about two seconds. What the hell was she **doing** to him? She swung out again in the next heartbeat, catching him enough off guard that he flinched, but still caught her hand and twisted her momentum until she tasted dirt again.

_'Damn his ninja-ness!'_ the priestess thought. Yeah. Epic fail.

Or was it?

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"When you have a good sparring partner, it makes it easier to learn automatic defensive moves," Itachi explained, correcting her stance again with a tap of his foot and raising her defensive arm a little more, "For instance, I could fight one of my clones all I wanted, but the fact is that I know exactly how one of them would react in any given situation. It becomes a moot point, then, when I'm able to pre-determine my initial strike. It's-!"

He held up a hand to make her stop moving. The forest had gone eeriely silent. Almost like a predator was nearby.

"Itachi? What's-!"

"Don't talk yet-!" A familiar chakra signal suddenly blazed to life and beared down on them. Reacting instinctively, the former heir dove for the priestess, despite her squawk of protest at being handled so roughly, and rolled them out of the way as an enormous sword swung where they'd been standing.

"You fool! What if I hadn't dodged in time!" Itachi snarled the moment they were on their feet again. Kagome merely stood there, gaping in shock at the massive man that stood across from them.

_'Is he... blue? Is this some kind of joke?'_ the dark-haired girl thought, blinking and rubbing her eyes again. Yep, the big blue guy was still there, giant bandaged sword and all, _'Wait! Are... those gills?'_

"You don't give me enough credit, Itachi. I knew you would react accordingly," their opponent replied offhandedly, "In fact, you moved faster than I've seen you move in a while. Funny how that works, huh?"

_'So they... know eachother?'_ Kagome thought, watching the intruder very carefully. He shifted just slightly, and she tensed, waiting for the moment he would swing that monster of a sword again. Why, exactly, was it bandaged?

"You followed me," Itachi accused a moment later, Sharingan eyes beginning to whirl in his agitation. Kisame held up a hand and pointed to the bushes. They moved and another figure stepped out of them.

"Konan-san?" the priestess exclaimed, surprise clear on her features. Itachi was just as surprised inwardly, then remembered the time the woman had gone to get him medicine. They had to have met at that point.

_'Damn meddling paper-user!'_

"I showed him where you were, Itachi," Konan replied, waving off the former heir's ire and turning a small smile onto Kagome, "How are you, Kagome-san?"

"I'm... well! Yourself?"

"Good."

"**Why. Are. You. Here.**" Itachi bit out, fury building inside him. They weren't supposed to know about this! How was he going to train her in secret if the entirity of Akatsuki knew about her?

"Leader-sama insist I keep an eye on you," the blue-haired woman shrugged, striding over to Kagome and clipping a small paper butterfly in the priestess's dark hair. Dismissing Itachi's undeniably homocidal aura, she nodded in approval and held up a hand. "Here, hit my hand."

Kagome did so, elicting a raised brow from the kunoichi.

"There was no power behind your movements. Do you not know how?"

"Umm... I never really learned how to fight hand-to-hand," Kagome replied sheepishly. Konan nodded, then turned to Itachi.

"I take it you plan on teaching her," the kunoichi stated, getting a Sharingan enhanced glare from the Uchiha.

"When you leave." Konan scoffed.

"Not likely. I hope you don't think you can do this by yourself, Itachi. With upcoming missions and the careful watch on your movements, you'll be hard-pressed to keep her a secret for much longer."

"Secret? Me?" Kagome asked, tilting her head to the side innocently.

"Damn, she's really that innocent?" Kisame muttered, shaking his head and strapping his sword to his back again. "Have you told her _anything_, Itachi?"

The prodigy in question merely hissed angrily and snapped a glare at his partner.

"I have **every** intention of telling her," the Uchiha replied, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath to try and center his emotions before collecting himself and turning to Kagome. At least, where Kagome had been before. She'd disappeared.

"So... you're a hanyou, right?" the priestess's voice spoke in Kisame's direction. Itachi whirled around and tried not to gape at the casual way the girl had started talking to his bloodthirsty partner. **No one** called Kisame a hanyou and lived to tell about it!

"That's right. How do you know that?" Kisame answered, curiosity piqued. Itachi let out the breath he'd unconsciously been holding.

"Well... I have my ways. I've never met a shark hanyou before, though. Is it hard to breathe when you're not in the water?"

"Not anymore. When I was younger, I had some difficulties, but now I can breathe air just like water," the blue man replied, crossing his arms and grinning sharply down at the small human, "You scared?"

"Not really. I've met a spider hanyou that was terrifying. After all, he tried to kill me several times," Kagome shrugged, smirking slightly up at the surprised look the taller male sent her, "So, if you try to kill me, I probably won't be very happy; but then, all of the people I became friends with tried to kill me in some way or another when I first met them. I'm not the kind of person that judges by what everyone says. I have to see that darkness myself before I can be convinced that someone is truly evil." Smiling up at the shark man, she patted his arm before turning back to a stunned Konan and Itachi.

"So, who's up for some target practice? I think I should really work on that." The two humans nodded in unison and watched Kagome skip away merrily.

"She's something else, Itachi," Kisame muttered, rubbing his arm absently where the priestess had patted it. Unbeknownst to her, when Kagome had initiated the contact with him, her powers had flickered to the surface to test, and eventually shock, him with a warning vibration. It had left an odd taste in his mouth; knowing that a potentially dangerous person had such a pure personality. And for her to be right there and not immediately judge him? In a way, he could honestly see why his stoic partner seemed so drawn to her.

Kagome was an interesting person.

"Yes. She truly is," Itachi murmured, observing quietly as Konan began to instruct the priestess on the benefits of shuriken versus her arrows.

The two men stood for a moment of silence before the taller one addressed the shorter one. "Are you going to really tell her?"

"... Yes. She deserves at least that much."

Kisame watched his partner out of the corner of one beady eye before sighing almost imperceptibly. "You'll be fine. You heard what she just said. The whole judging thing; she'll definitely see your side. After all, she likes you." Itachi scoffed elegantly and reached up a hand to rub his eyes tiredly.

"I suppose I can count on the two of you to not say anything to Madara," the former heir muttered quietly. It wasn't a request; Kisame knew. Itachi didn't make requests of others. He either threatened, or they died.

"Konan actually likes the girl. You know she'll keep quiet. The only person she might tell would be Leader-sama."

"That is what has me a little... bothered." It was true. The last thing he wanted was for Pein to find out about Kagome's abilities. It would mean doing several very drastic things to ensure the kind girl wasn't enslaved into the Akatsuki. "And you?"

"I'll keep quiet... for a price."

Oh, damn.

"Name it."

"I'll get there." With that ominous statement, Kisame moved towards the girls with a grace someone his size shouldn't have normally possessed. "Hey, girlie!"

"Hmm? It's Kagome, thank you," the priestess replied primly, sending an annoyed glare at the amused shark-man.

"Right. Did you know that today is a very interesting day?" Itachi resisted the urge to let his jaw drop. No! Kisame wouldn't dare!

"Really? I thought today was any other day," Kagome answered, tilting her head in question and wondering what the hanyou was getting at.

"Not when today is precious Itachi's birthday!" While the priestess's blue eyes widened in shock, Itachi had to use every modicum of patience and calm he possessed to keep from outright maiming his partner. And then some. Konan just let a small smirk flutter across her face before her usual stoicism took hold again. The blue-haired woman had known that Kisame was planning something along the lines of embarrassing his young partner.

"Is... this true, Itachi?" Kagome asked quietly, switching her gaze from an obviously proud Kisame to the twitchy looking prodigy. After a moment of gathering himself, he finally nodded haltingly, expecting her to want to throw a celebration.

"Well... it's your birthday today, so do you want to keep training, or do something else? It's whatever you wish," the dark-haired girl asked, fidgeting just slightly when he gave her a surprised glance. No one **ever** asked if he wanted to do something just because he felt like it. It was always orders. Apparently, there would be a lot of firsts with Kagome.

"I... " glancing at his fellow Akatsuki members, he took a few steps closer to the priestess until he could quietly finish his sentence, "I want you to be safe. Nothing more. If you could truly grant a wish, that would be it." He thought it was a decent idea. What he didn't expect was for Kagome to flush darkly and suddenly become extremely interested in their shoes. Had he said something wrong?

"Itachi... When you're nearby, I **do** feel safe. So, you don't have to worry about me," she replied just as quietly, biting her bottom lip anxiously and suddenly meeting his gaze. Her cheeks were still red, but she was smiling, "That's really sweet of you, though."

The former heir resisted the urge to moan. "I am not."

"You are! You wouldn't have said that if you weren't!"

"I'm not sweet!" he hissed, forgetting about their smirking audience for a moment, "I merely wish for you to be properly outfitted with the ability to defend yourself!"

"We'll see about that! I bet you're hungry, so let's go home! I'll make you a cake! You're still too skinny!" She poked him for the effect and he batted her hand away.

"I **dislike** cakes!" Itachi protested vehemently, "And I'm not skinny!"

"You won't hate them when you're drunk!"

"And you think you'll get me drunk?"

"Who knows? Anything can happen, Itachi. It is, after all, your birthday. Happy birthday, by the way."

"Thank you. I have **never** been drunk," he argued, then added quickly, "and I don't intend to ingest enough alcohol to do so, either!"

Konan and Kisame looked on in slight awe as the two teenagers argued like there was no tomorrow.

"... You ever seen him this happy before?" the tall blue man asked, glancing at the elegant woman watching the theatrics with an air of amusement.

"No. I haven't. It's good for him, though, to actually act his age. He deserves it," she replied, amber eyes flashing with calculation. She had to wonder if Kagome had intentionally made the Uchiha genius forget about them. The priestess confirmed the kunoichi's thoughts when she flashed a grin in their direction while Itachi wasn't looking.

_'Yes. She's definitely good for him. I intend to keep it that way,'_ Konan thought, nodding to the younger girl and following the duo in the direction of the village. Kisame loped behind her, then stopped and looked around the clearing. Despite his misgivings, he really did believe Konan. Kagome was good for his uptight partner that had become something like a younger brother to him.

_'I hope you know what you're doing, Itachi. Madara won't let either of you live if he finds out the truth.'_

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A/N: Aaaaaaannnnd that's a wrap! I really do apologize that this took so long! Lots of things have been going on in the real world for me. I am going back to school in the fall, so I'm working on getting everything in that corner together. On top of that, I'm working a lot more now, so that's been taking up a lot of my time.

So the ending of this chapter was not how I'd originally planned it. In fact, I wasn't planning on putting Konan and Kisame in there, but it does move the plot along in the right direction. I hope I've done some justice and laid a bit of your fears to rest. Now that Itachi's figured out that he's in love, he can take the proper steps to ensure that Kagome will stay by his side... for good. No more running for him. He's in it for the long haul. As for Kagome, she's getting there. She just needs a little more time.

So, with that being said, The next update could be anywhere from two weeks to a month in coming. I do appreciate your patience, and I thank you for your continued support. Until next time guys!


	33. Angel

Summary

Deidara believes he's found his soulmate. Kagome feels as though she's missing something very important. Sasori just wants the blonde to stop wasting his time. Too bad Itachi's already staked his claim...

A/N: I know you've all been very patient, so, I want to thank everyone that has reviewed this story. I know a lot of you have been waiting for this, so here it is! For those of you that have wondered, I don't hate Deidara. He's a fun, dramatic, crazy Akatsuki guy. I just happen to like Itachi better. This chapter was very hard for me to put together; mostly because I kept scrapping ideas left and right. But, I think I've contributed something satisfying. Anywhoozles, on with the chapter! Fixed the bit with Deidara's weird speech pattern.

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The day Kagome met Deidara was a day for the record books. Itachi hadn't ever had a time when he wanted to **kill** the blonde more than on that day. Sighing, he recalled the events that lead up to the disasterous moment. Really though, he'd have easily given anything, except Kagome, to have that memory completely eradicated from his mind.

Their day had started out normally enough... Well, if you call living with a bunch of S-class criminals normal.

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"The three of you will embark on this mission. It's time to begin gathering the other tailed beasts," Pein announced, carelessly throwing a scroll at an inattentive Deidara's head. It bounced off the blonde, and he muttered something ugly under his breath as he picked it up. "Head to Stone. From there, Deidara will navigate the terrain. The scroll contains the details of the mission. When you are finished memorizing it, burn it." With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the three ninja and turned in his cushy chair to read a report.

"One question, Leader-sama?" Sasori grunted, tilting his head curiously and regarding Itachi, "Why is Itachi coming with us? Why not send him with Kisame to another possible location?"

"Kisame is doing some other work for me. And you will need a strong genjutsu user to infiltrate Lightning Country," the orange haired man answered, staring down his subordinates with darkened Rinnengan eyes, "Is that all, Sasori?"

"Yes sir." The red head turned and left the room, pulling a protesting Deidara along with him. Itachi brought up the rear sedately. He just knew that this was going to be one of those missions from hell.

It turned out he was right. It was hell. In a handbasket.

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"Did you **have** to blow up that base, you fool?" Itachi groused, glaring at the blonde and dusting off his Akatsuki cloak. The soot was still stuck to him and he felt distinctly grimy. He really wanted to take a bath.

"Don't be such a jackass, jackass!" Deidara huffed, grinning smartly and thumping his chest, "You're so dull, Itachi! You never show any kind of artistic flare! That's the problem with you! You live your life so... square, yeah!" Itachi sent the bombs expert a deadpan stare. He had no idea what the hell the moron was talking about.

"And by square you mean... what, exactly," Sasori replied, seeing as the Sharingan user wasn't going to ask. Granted, he really felt he wsa just wasting his time, but he also found it amusing whenever Itachi would finally decide to get off his Uchiha high horse and start pummeling Deidara into the ground.

"Basically, he doesn't take any kind of risks! He makes no room for error or surprises, therefore, he's square, yeah!" the Iwa missing nin declared, smirking as he watched the normally unflappable Itachi Uchiha twitch murderously. As wild and dramatic as he acted, Deidara wasn't as stupid as he let the others think he was. Kisame was probably the only one that knew the former heir better than himself. Since the day he'd met the stoic young man, the blonde had taken to finding out everything he could on the Uchiha; if only to figure out a way to get the upper hand in battle. And the blonde knew, for a fact, that the Sharingan user had been acting off for almost a year now.

_'Ever since he mentioned that __**girl**__ that one time, he's been different. I know that he's been hiding it from the others, but that girl certainly __**does**__ exist!'_ he thought, stepping around and putting his partner in between him and the homocidal Uchiha glaring furiously at him, _'His emotions are closer to the surface. He's lost his cool more times in the past few months than I've ever seen in the past 4 years I've known him. That girl... I wonder if she knows she's got someone as dangerous as Itachi practically wrapped around her little finger.'_

Itachi, for his part, systematically locked away every emotion swirling in him to the best of his ability and reigned in the urge to pound his idiotic teammate. If Deidara only **knew** about the current risk he was taking, well, he'd probably blow himself up in shock. It was a well-known fact that he didn't like the former Iwa nin very much. Add his insistent need to be showy and dramatic compared to the Uchiha's need to be discreet and undetectible, and things usually blew up in their faces when they were forced to work on missions together.

Hence the annihilation of the base they'd infiltrated.

"Regardless," Itachi finally stated, ice coating his words, "there was no need to make such a showy getaway. I'm rather surprised that we managed to lose those ANBU trackers near the borders." He turned and pinned the annoyed blonde with a Sharingan enhanced glare. "Should you feel the need to do something so ridiculous, do so on your own time." With that, the dark-haired male began to make his way back to the base.

_'Translation for Uchiha-speak: Don't screw up like that again, moron. You're lucky I saved your ass,'_ Sasori thought, sending his partner a blank glance to gauge the blonde's reaction. As was per usual, Deidara was seething angrily, hatred clearly visible in his eye. The bomb's expert should have known better. After all, Rule number 1 when dealing with Itachi Uchiha was to not make Itachi Uchiha angry at you. In normal circumstances, you ended up dead. Of course, they had something of diplomatic immunity to the former heir's infamous temper. Leader-sama had forbidden them to kill eachother unless it was for an extremely good reason.

The first thing Itachi had tried when he joined the Akatsuki was attempt to obliterate Orochimaru for trying to take over his body. Pein had actually let that one slide, oddly enough, seeing as he'd been rather furious with the snake sanin himself. Itachi had only been fourteen when that happened and was already considered a force to be reckoned with. Apparently, he'd spent a year running around the nation after he left his village "taking care of some things for his former clan", whatever that meant.

"I hate you, Uchiha!" Deidara spat out, bringing Sasori back to the present.

"Trust me, the feeling is mutual you blithering idiot," Itachi replied, ignoring the angry noises coming from his teammate.

"... Don't you two ever stop?" Sasori sighed, shaking his head when he got no response.

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"Leader-sama won't kill us if we stop and get some tea, yeah!" Deidara hissed, throwing another lethal glare at his companions.

"No, but I might," Itachi muttered, giving as good as he got and glaring right back at the blonde.

"It's a waste of my time, Deidara," Sasori added, giving he flamboyant blonde a black look, "I **can't** drink tea."

"Maybe you shouldn't have tured yourself into a puppet, then," the bomb's expert sniffed, "It's not my fault, yeah. Besides, living forever is **so** overrated. When I die, I'm going out with a big bang."

"Not if I turn you into a bloody smear on the street first," the Uchiha countered, cracking his knuckles menacingly. His cool demeanor having long deserted him, he was ready to go back to base, report their findings, and throttle the blonde. Not necessarily in that order either. Then he wanted to go see Kagome, maybe work on some more taijutsu with her, and go over a few more ways she could manipulate her impressive chakra. She called it spirit energy; he just thought it was amazing. The things she would be able to accomplish when she had the right kind of training almost made him giddy with joy.

It was strange; if someone had told him about a year ago that he would be excited about taking on a student, he would have told them they were insane and killed them for their insolence. Now, however, he could completely understand. It was his way of helping. Kagome would learn to defend herself in every way he could teach her, thereby laying most of his worries to rest in order to concentrate on the blooming feelings he was rapidly developing for the young priestess.

"Well, I'm not leaving until we get some damn tea!" Deidara argued, crossing his arms and glaring at his two fellow Akatsuki members. Itachi barely restrained the urge to roll his eyes. The blonde was such a... a...

"Petulant child," he muttered out loud, pushing past the angry missing nin and glancing around. He knew, for a fact, that there was an out-of-the-way tea shop nearby, and started in the general direction of the White Lotus Tea Shop. "Let's just get this over with."

Deidara looked smug. Sasori looked ready to murder. Itachi just wanted his new headache to **go away**.

A few minutes later, the three S-Class criminals were stepping into a quaint shop. The bell chimed, indicating customers, and one of the girls, dressed in a soft green kimono with a white obi, led them to a table. As the hostess seated them, she informed them that their server would be with them shortly and scurried quickly back up to the front when the bell rang again.

"Well... Isn't this cute, yeah," Deidara murmured, getting an annoyed glance from Itachi. Sasori harrumphed quietly aned smacked the blonde on the back of the head.

"Shut up, Deidara. At least you're getting you're damn tea," the redhead hissed, folding his arms back in his sleeves and leaning back against the booth, "Have you been here before, Itachi?"

"A few times, and very infrequently," the Sharingan user admitted quietly. He didn't want anyone to overhear any possible conversations, "No one here would recognize me. Plus, Konan recommended it." The other two men nodded, knowing that their lone female member took a small amount of pride in finding tea houses that she considered worth going back to.

"Good afternoon. I'm sorry about your wait, gentlemen," a voice the Uchiha knew all too well chimed cheerfully next to him, and it took every ounce of willpower he possessed to not suddenly whip his head around to face the girl. It just **had** to be **her**!

_'Why is Kagome __**here**__?'_ Itachi thought, panic momentarily seizing his brain as they acknowledged the priestess. He knew hat the girl worked in a tea shop, but he hadn't realized it was **this** one! In some, still functioning part of his mind, he noticed Deidara straighten up in his seat and pay very close attention to the server girl. _'Nice going, Uchiha. Open mouth, insert foot.'_

"It's no problem. You server girls must be busy, yeah," the blonde waved off the pretty dark-haired girl's apology, sending her a mischievous grin, "I bet I could keep you really busy though."

"My name is Kagome and I'll be taking care of your orders today," she continued, ignoring the last comment while trying to suppress the urge to laugh. That had to have been one of the cheesiest pick-up lines she'd ever heard! And that was saying something, because Miroku was the king of cheesy pick-up lines. "Is there anything I can get started for you?"

"You can start-!"

"Green tea, just two," Itachi interrupted the blonde, sending him a discreet glare before continuing by gesturing to Sasori, "He doesn't drink tea. For now, that will be all." Kagome blinked, not used to such a cold dismissal from her friend, before nodding and rembering that she wasn't supposed to know him.

"Of course sir. I'll be back in a few moments."

"Thank you." The moment she left, however, Deidara almost jumped down his throat in righteous anger.

"What is your **problem**, Uchiha!" the blonde hissed, watching Kagome disappear into the kitchen longingly before glaring at the dark-haired prodigy. The former heir restrained the urge to clock his team mate over the head with something heavy. He **despised** the look on the other member's face.

"The woman is merely doing her job, fool, and watching you blurt out ridiculous lines like that is not within my current realm of patience," Itachi replied as cooly as possible, leaning back in the booth and closing his eyes almost wearily, "or ever, for that matter." Damn, but his head hurt! He **never** wanted to go on another mission with Deidara again.

"Did you not **see** her, danna! She was absolute perfection, yeah!" The bomb's expert turned excitedly to his red headed partner to see him nod in agreement, "Like an angel that fell straight from the heavens to grace us with her presence, yeah. Big blue eyes, sunkissed skin, long pretty hair, boobs out to-!"

"She was lovely, but I've still seen better," the puppet master interrupted, noticing out of the corner of his eye that the Uchiha's shuriken hand was starting to inch towards his secret weapons stash. Interesting reaction.

Itachi grit his teeth and almost decided to sit on his hands. If he wasn't careful, he was going to maim Deidara and set Sasori on fire. Now he could understand why some men got jealous when the girl they liked got attention from other guys. At the moment, he was green with envy.

"Those damn puppets you make don't friggin' count, yeah. A living breathing girl that looks like **that** is hard to find!" the flamboyant artist growled out, clearing his throat and becoming the picture of innocence the moment Kagome returned with two cups and a pot of tea. As she set about pouring their portions, Itachi took note that there was a powder in the bottom of his cup. Raising his eyes sharply, he met the priestess's amused blue orbs and discreetly tapped her temple out of the other two missing nin's vision and winked.

_'What a clever girl,'_ the Sharingan user thought, smiling inwardly at the thoughtful gesture on the girl's part. It wasn't everyday that he trusted someone else to give him asprin. Nodding just the tiniest bit, he let her pour tea into his cup and absently thanked her.

"Are you sure I can't get you anything, sir?" Kagome asked, setting her sights on Sasori. The puppet master shook his head in the negative.

"No. I don't need anything."

"I do," Deidara butted in, smiling amiably at the priestess as she blinked slowly.

"Yes sir?"

"I wanted to-!" he was interrupted before he could get out anything significantly damaging. Itachi couldn't have been more thankful.

"Hey Kagome! I just had another person asking to buy that painting you brought in!" another girl, this one with brown hair and sparkling green eyes, bounced up to them, attaching herself to the dark-haired girl's arm unexpectedly. The Sharingan weilder almost twitched. He had **no idea** that Kagome was so popular with everyone else. Even girls seemed to like her!

"Which one?"

"The one wth the night sky and the big white dog howling at the moon. I still like that other one you brought in too," the girl replied, smiling brightly at the three men listening in to their conversation, "I'm sorry. Kagome's our resident artist here, and she has such pretty paintings. If you're interested, you should take a look at some of her work!" With that, she flounced off happily to get back to her tables.

"Yume! Stop pimping me out to my customers!" Kagome hissed to the departing girl, a red flush working its' way onto her cheeks. Itachi wasn't surprised; after all, he'd seen several of her canvases and they were well done. Deidara, on the other hand, looked as though Christmas had come early. Even Sasori had started paying more attention. The former heir **really** didn't like the assessing gleam that had entered the puppet master's eyes.

"You paint?" Deidara asked, temporarily abandoning his plans to woo the cute server in pursuit of a more agreeable subject. Kagome glanced at him uncertainly and nodded.

"Yes. Only recreationally though."

"Well, we seem to have something in common, Kagome-chan!" the blonde replied, wincing slightly when Itachi kicked him in the shin under the table. Whether for the added 'chan' or the comment in general, he wasn't quite sure, "I happen to be an artist as well, yeah!"

"If you call blowing things up art," the Uchiha grumbled quietly. Kagome caught the words and had to suppress a grin at the sulky tone her dark-haired friend was using. It seemed the teen didn't like sharing her attention.

"Hey! Working with clay **is** art, you idiot!" Deidara countered hotly, glaring over the table at the unmoving Uchiha. Sasori ignored the two in favor of addressing the girl that seemed to be in the middle of the newest arguement. Despite not needing to feel all of his human emotions the same way the others could, he was still curious about a couple of things. Like why Itachi seemed to have developed a protective instinct towards their waitress. Or what this painting looked like.

"I would like to see it, if you don't mind," the red-head stated in a quietly demanding way, drawing Kagome's attention away from the bickering duo and fixing it onto him. Jewel eyes lightened in delight and she nodded as she beckoned him over to a wall. Sasori stood and silently followed her, admiring the painting that she shyly pointed out from afar.

"-and you're just pissed off that Kagome-chan thinks I'm better-looking than you, yeah! Right, Kagome?" Deidara turned to bring the priestess into the conversation. Itachi merely slumped back and discreetly rolled his eyes. The bomb's expert could be so dramatic at times! "Kagome?" He glanced over to where his current love interest was supposed to be... only to find her gone.

_'Where is she?'_ the Sharingan master thought, looking around for a moment before spotting a head of red hair that **wasn't** sitting at their table like he was supposed to be! Next to him was a petite girl with long dark hair laughing amiably.

"Damn it! Danna moves fast for a puppet guy, yeah!" Deidara hissed, growling in annoyance and snapping his fingers. Itachi almost leapt out of his seat to drag the priestess away from the normally unsociable Sasori. That, however, would not only make him look like a jealous fool, but would give away the secret entirely. It would only be another moment before Deidara would put the pieces together if he acted that rashly.

"Deidara. Shut. Up."

"I'm just sayi-!" The blonde suddenly cut off his train of thought, realizing one extremely important fact. From the moment their server had appeared, the former clan heir had been ridiculously cool and extremely twitchy. It was almost as though he was hiding something that was right under their noses. And, now that he thought about it, he'd seen the occasional glance the dark-haired male had thrown her when he thought no one was watching.

_'Is this... Is she "the girl"?'_ he thought, tilting his head to the side thoughtfully as he stared the Uchiha down intently. Itachi, for his part, was starting to get twitchy again the moment his partner had stopped talking and just... looked at him. A trickle of sweat rolled down the back of his collar and his gaze jumped away from the man sitting across from him-

_'Damn him for being unusually perceptive today!'_

-only to slide over to check on Kagome again. Deidara chose that moment to suck in a shocked breath, drawing his attention back to the situation at hand.

"What!" Itachi hissed out, glaring dangerously at the flabbergasted blonde.

"She's... She's **your girl**?" he wheezed out, absolute fear running rampant in his brain. He'd been hitting on **Itachi's girl**. And he'd been sitting there watching him the **whole fuckin' time**! Itachi gave him an incredulous look that he didn't even bother to hide.

"What even **gives** you the remote possibility that-!"

"Don't try to finagle your way out of this one, Uchiha! Just admit it already, yeah!" the bomb's expert interrupted, earning a deadpan stare.

"Do you even **know** what finagle means, Deidara?"

"Of course I do! What, do you think I'm an idiot or something?" he replied, outrage coloring his quiet tone before adding quickly, "and stop changing the subject, damn it! Is she, or is she not?"

"What?" the other missing nin snapped out, trying desperately to keep the situation under control.

"YOUR GIRLFRIEND!" he shouted. Immediately the entire establishment was silent as the grave. Kagome turned slowly to face the other two men, a delicate flush creeping onto her cheeks that Sasori didn't fail to notice. His niggling curiosity had proven him right. So, this really was Itachi's girl? The bastard was damn lucky.

"... Outside. Now," Itachi clipped out, setting out the correct change for their tea and rising fluidly, dark anger rolling off of him in waves. Deidara swallowed. He knew he'd overstepped his boundaries this time and rose to silently follow the sinister Uchiha out the door. Sasori sighed almost imperceptibly and glanced over at Kagome.

"Well, I better go make sure they don't kill eachother. It's a rule that we're not allowed to, but Itachi might decide to disregard it... again." With that, the puppet master left a shockd priestess behind and swept out the door after his two team mates.

A moment later, Kagome was throwing her apron at one of the other girls and bolting out the door. She had to make sure no one was going to die today.

_What, exactly, did Sasori-san mean by "again"?'_

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"Listen, I know I caused a scene, yeah, but that doesn't mean you need to be so upset about this," Deidara babbled, unknowingly ticking off the Uchiha even more, "Its okay to like some girl. Hell, I'm proud of you, Uchiha! I don't have to worry about the possibility of you being-!"

"Finish that sentence and I **will** set you on fire!" Itachi hissed, whirling around to face the blonde with blazng Sharingan eyes, "and I'll start wth your hair!" Deidara whimpered and clutched the long blonde strands defensively.

"It's unusual to see you overreact, Itachi. It's even more surprising to see that it's over something as small as a girl," Sasori interfered, stepping between the two men, "You must realize that we are curious."

"Why don't you take your curiosity, Sasori, and shove it up your-!"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Itachi Uchiha!" a feminine voice that reminded him sharply of his mother snapped before Kagome flung herself inbetween him and his other two fellow members.

_'Hell. This is what hell is supposed to be like, isn't it?'_ Itachi thought, gritting his teeth and leveling his glare at the priestess.

"Turn around. Go back inside. Now." He really wanted her to listen, for once.

"No!" she replied, crossing her arms over her chest and standing her ground, "Just because they know who I am does ot mean you get ot beat them up. In fact, you didn't react this badly when I met the others!" Deidara stood agog, watching the scene unfold in disbelief. This small woman was standing up to Itachi Uchiha! And living! His brain caught up with the conversation a few seconds later.

"Wait! What others?" the blonde snapped, glaring angrily at the Sharingan weilder, "Are you telling me everyone else knew about her **before me and danna**!"

"I already knew, Deidara. I was just cementing the facts," Sasori defended lazily, not even twitching when his partner turned rabid eyes onto him, "Hidan told pretty much everyone."

"... I'm going to kill him," Itachi decided a moment later, "It will be painful, it will be bloody, and it will feel amazing."

"Like sex?" Deidara put his two cents in helpfully.

"Yes. Like se-! WHAT?" the former heir started, blanching visibly when the Iwa nin's words caught up to him. Kagome coughed delicately and blushed while suppressing the urge to laugh. She snorted instead. Itachi sent her an almost helpless look.

"Sorry. It's just... the look on your face was priceless, Itachi," the former time traveler giggled helplessly, turning away from the men to try and contain herself.

"It's true, yeah. You walked right into that one, Uchiha," Deidara sighed, shaking his head in a semi-dramatic fashion.

"Besides, Hidan would probably get off on the pain alone," Sasori supplied, making Kagome suddenly gag.

"Ewww! Too much information," the dark-haired girl muttered, "I think I need some brain soap."

"The mental image is rather scarring," Itachi grumbled, rubbing his eyes as his Sharingan finally faded and letting his anger go. It just wasn't worth it anymore. "This is Kagome. She's **not** my girlfriend, but she **is** someone I have a very high opinion of."

_'Translation for Uchiha-speak: I love her, you fools, and if you lay one finger on her, I'll gut you with salad tongs,'_ Sasori thought, catching Deidara's eye and nodding imperceptibly. The blonde gulped quietly and thanked every god that was currently in his favor for the fact that Itachi seemed more concerned with Kagome's safety than taking out revenge on him. He'd still sleep with the light on over the next couple of weeks.

But then, he really couldn't resist one last jibe.

"So, Kagome-chan, what's say you and I have a date night, yeah? I'll pick you up around seven?"

Itachi twitched in fury and flipped through the hand signs for his infamous _Fireball Jutsu__**. **_Deidara ran for his life a few seconds later.

Kagome sweatdropped and glanced at Sasori. "He doesn't really learn, does he?"

"No. He doesn't." He was going to enjoy being around this girl. If only for the sheer fact that she drove someone as focused as Itachi to distraction.

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A/N: I love making blondes smart. They don't deserve their bad rep. I know this one girl that I graduated from high school with that was the smartest girl in the class. And, yep, you guessed it, she was blonde. So, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, because it was sheer hell to write. I just could not get it to paper! It took me several sittings to get this to work.

Deidara is a fun character to write, but surprisingly hard to keep in character. I didn't want to portray him as a complete idiot, because he merely lacked all the information to put the pieces together correctly. Sasori, on the other hand, seems intelligent enough to be able to properly read emotions. Even stunted ones from crazy Uchihas trying to keep secrets.

Again, thank you all for your patience. I hope this was worth the wait. Don't forget to review!


	34. Change

Summary

In which a new plan is formed, and Itachi lets loose on his past...

A/N: Sorry for how long this took. I actually intended for them to explain their pasts to eachother in one chapter, but I thought it would be better to break it up. Oh, and I say Strawberry Pocky cause I like it better! So nyah! -sighs- I wonder if there are other flavors aside from chocolate and strawberry...

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_'This is the most important moment of my life, and I can't even begin to form the words to tell her about myself,'_ he thought, letting himself into her house and leisurely hanging up his cloak. _'I'm doomed. I just know it.'_

"Itachi? Is that you?"

"... Yes, and you left the door unlocked. Again," the Uchiha replied, sighing quietly as he turned the lock and padded into the den. Kagome was situated in her window seat, and pencil and a sketch pad in her lap as she worked on yet another picture that he was sure would be turned into a masterpiece of paints and color.

"Sorry. I actually did lock it this morning... but I went out to the market for a while and came back," the priestess admitted sheepishly, her cheeks coloring pink before she continued, "I guess I forgot to turn it back. But, I knew you were coming, so I'd rather leave it unlocked for you than you crawling through the window in broad daylight. Someone might think you were trying to rob me."

She made an excellent point. But that didn't mean he would stop training her to lock her door when he wasn't there.

"Of course," he sighed quietly, running a hand carelessly through his long hair. He needed to trim his bangs up soon again, "I told you before... that I owe you."

"Owe me?"

"... An explanation." When she only gave him a confused look, he added painfully, "About... my past." Her blue eyes widened and she spun to drop her feet on the floor as she sat up. He now had her full undivided attention. "That's why I'm here today."

She nodded, unwilling to break his train of thought with words as he tried to piece together how he wanted to say it. After a few moments of silence, however, she realized that he was struggling to start.

"Just... start at the beginning, Itachi."

"The beginning..." The Sharingan master looked out the window, letting his dark eyes unfocus for a moment as he vividly recalled his childhood. The scenes of bloodshed were still so fresh, even after all these years. "Where is my beginning, I wonder?" He started to pace, wondering how his next words would impact their relationship. Would she really still accept him?

"Umm... How about you tell me about your family?" Kagome asked, uncertainty coloring her tone as she wondered if this was really such a good idea. He stopped moving. It was obvious his past still pained him, if the slight grimace that flickered across his features was any indication.

"My family... One would think that being blood-related, you would be attached to them."

_'What... is that supposed to mean?'_ the time traveler thought, tilting her head to the side in consternation.

He was pacing. Again. And it was really starting to bother her.

"Itachi..."

"This is... one of the most difficult things I've ever done," he responded to her unanswered question, taking a seat on her couch before jumping up again a moment later to start pacing again, "I have **never** told **anyone** my story."

Kagome sighed and stood up, setting aside her pencil and paper, "Listen, if you think I'm going to judge you just because of something that happened in your past, well, that'd be really hypocritical of me, wouldn't it? I mean, remember when I told you about my past?"

"Time travel and demon slaying is completely different than what I did," the Uchiha pointed out petulantly, crossing his arms and staring her down, "My crimes are unspeakable, horrendous, punishable by death, and they were waged on humans." The priestess shook her head and disappeared into the kitchen. He waited for her to return, once again resuming pacing. A moment later, the dark haired girl was back, a cup of tea in her hands and glaring quite fiercely at him.

"Itachi... If you don't **sit**, I will tie you to the couch!" The Sharingan master froze, almost willing to believe that threat. He didn't miss how much she stressed that 'sit' either. He was sure she was imagining him making a crater in the floor with an enchanted rosary around his neck. He had a brief moment where he pitied Inuyasha. A few seconds later, the fire in her eyes skyrocketed. "Now!"

So he sat quickly on the couch, fisting his hands together in his lap and looking the picture of innocence.

Yeah. Right.

The former time traveler plopped down on next to him and held out a box of strawberry flavored pocky. "Eat."

"I really don't like-!" The deadened look she gave him made the words stick in his throat and he reached over tentatively to accept the ridiculously sweet biscuit sticks. Munching quickly on one, he made a noise of gratitude, hoping she'd back off a little. Instead, she pointed at his tea.

"Drink."

"Yes ma'am." He **was not** about to ignite her explosive temper again. The last time he'd done that, his cheek stung for days. Small as she was, the woman knew how to slap. So he drank his tea, inwardly bemoaning the fact that pocky **did not** go with green tea. At all.

"Now, just... talk," Kagome murmured, gesturing for him to take another stick. He did so very reluctantly and sighed loudly.

"When I was four, I witnessed my first battlefield. I wasn't a part of the fight. I had actually happened upon it," he started, letting the images slip through his mind's eye quickly. That fight had been bloody; enemy and ally alike had ben brutally slain. "It changed something inside me. I didn't want to fight; to make people hurt. I wanted to solve things without the necessary need for death and destruction. Unfortunately, I had a natural innate talent for killing. Sasuke was born when I was six, and I knew the moment I laid eyes on my little brother that he would always be in my shadow. I still loved him, and I would do **anything** to keep him safe and happy. I became a full-fledged shinobi when I was seven. Everyone in my family... my **clan** was thrilled. I was their precious little prodigy." He spat the word 'clan' out like it was a poison. Kagome swallowed the urge to gasp horribly. How could someone's family make them kill people at such a young age!

"I mastered my Sharingan in a year. So many children my age were jealous. None of them liked me, but they were forced to be nice, because I was not only the Uchiha clan's special ace, but the patriarch's eldest son. Time passed, Almost four years, in fact. In that time, I ascended the ranks faster than anyone had ever hoped to accomplish in the village. I was hailed, revered, respected, and feared by the time I was thirteen. What more could someone in my postition ever hope for?" Kagome couldn't understand that. What kind of thirteen year old wanted to be feared? But then, Itachi was raised a lot differently than her.

"Then, I became an ANBU Captain. The youngest ever in the history of Konohagakure. Sasuke, at the time, adored me, but he was also extremely jealous. He wanted the reverence I'd been given. So many people insisted that the pressure would break my mind. In the end, it probably did, but I was determined to be the best. I wanted to stand at the top so that no one could hurt the people I cared about."

It was implied that he meant his precious foolish little brother. Itachi took a deep breath and plowed ahead, determined to finish now that he'd started talking. There was something in him that had burst the moment he made the decision to tell her, and now he couldn't seem to get the words out fast enough.

He continued, his mind twisting back through his past as he let his words flow out.

"During that time, my clan was planning a coup. They were going to wage an outbreak against the villages' elders and their prominent leaders. The reason was, of course, jealousy and hatred for their position in the village. The Uchiha clan was highly respected, but also feared. Twelve years ago, a demon fox called the Kyuubi attacked the village. I later discovered that this was Madara's doing. The clan was blamed, however, because we are almost intimately connected with the Nine-Tailed beast."

"A demon fox? A **nine-tailed** demon fox?" Kagome choked, eyes wide and dark in shock. She knew what a single-tailed fox was capable of; a nine-tails was exponentially stronger, thereby much more destructive. "How did the village survive?"

"The Fourth Hokage, Yondaime Minato Namikaze, sealed it away in a human vessel. The boy's name is Naruto Uzumaki, and he now resides in the village. I can imagine that his life has been very difficult," Itachi replied, shrugging at the flabbergasted look on the prietess's face. "The village probably hated him. I only saw him a handful of times while I was there, and he was always alone."

"That's terrible! How could they foist their hatred on a child that had **nothing** to do with it! He's an innocent that was dragged in by their precious Hokage!" the girl hissed, blue eyes flashing in righteous anger. Somehow, the Uchiha knew that if she ever met the boy, she would do everything in her power to protect Naruto Uzumaki from anyone that tried to hurt him.

"He was the Fourth's son. I believe he wished for the people to see Naruto as a hero, rather than a burden. Sadly, not everyone thinks that way."

"... If we ever go to your village, I'm knocking heads together because people are so **stupid**," she grumbled, flushing at the slightly awed expression on the male's face, "Well I would!"

Itachi cleared his throat awkwardly and got them back on track. "So, my clan planned a coup. Father was the mastermind of the plan, and he ordered me to spy on the village, ANBU in particular. I, however, despised the fact that he was wanting to get so many innocent people involved in a petty power struggle. Their ideals would have led to another Shinobi War, and I wasn't about to let that happen. I was in a position to do so, so I began feeding information to the village instead."

"You... really cared about Konoha, didn't you?"

"Yes. I loved my village, but I cared about Sasuke even more. When things really started getting out of hand, the elders and the leader of a separate division of ANBU, called ROOT, decided that something needed to be done. I was given a top secret mission." He stopped, painfully remembering the details of that mission. The one that would tae him down his current path. "In all fairness, there was no one else that couod have succeeded the way I did."

Kagome held her breath, somehow knowing that everything hinged on Itachi's next words. So far, she hadn't really sided with the clan or the village. She thought that both were in the wrong, and they should have tried to settle their differences in another way.

"The Third Hokage tried to extend the hand of peace; he wanted the clan to give up. Hoped that there wouldn't be a need for bloodshed. My father was stubborn, and completely unwilling to negotiate. Time ran out, and I had to make a decision. It was easy really, to cut ties with the clan. They were traitors to the village. They wanted to sacrifice innocent lives for their own personal gain. I'd been working against them for months now. I'd stopped going to clan meetings, I argued with my father, the Police Force, even closed myself off from all of them. All in preparation for the night of my mission."

"Itachi... What was the mission?" the priestess whispered, fear shivering in her heart. Her friend looked outwardly calm, even serene, but inside, she could sense that his emotions were absolute chaos. And that somewhere in his heart, he'd killed a part of himself in order to do this secret mission. He resolutely met her blue eyes and refused to flinch away from the truth any longer.

"My mission... was to annihilate my entire clan. To snuff out the conspirators. To kill them. All of them."

Kagome stared in stunned silence as she let his words sink in. It... wasn't possible! There was **no way** he had to be forced to make **that** kind of a decision! Slowly, Itachi rose to his feet and exited the room. She watched him go for a moment, wondering vaguely where he was going. When the front door slammed shut, though, it shook her out of her daze and she scrambled to her feet.

_'Where... Why is he leaving?'_ Skidding to a halt in the front hall, she deduced that, yes, his cloak was gone, and yes, she couldn't sense him anywhere in the house. He'd truly left. Uncaring of the fact that she didn't take the time to throw on her shoes, she ripped the door open and followed his erratic aura in the direction of the village gates.

_'All this time, he's been suffering so badly, and here I am stuck in my own little world. Why didn't I ask him sooner? Why didn't I see it? How... How long has he hated himself? For killing his whole clan? For abandoning his brother? For all the horrible things he had to do? I said I'd be there for him, and now I've let him down!'_ She raced out the gates, ignoring the loud guard's annoyed shouts. Her mind was completely focused on one thing.

Finding Itachi.

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He should have known better. He shouldn't have told her. Her face said it all. She was stunned. She was horrified. She'd _**touched him**_. Her pure hands had held his bloodstained ones. He couldn't stay there; not when he could already see the blood starting to rub off on her. He was tainting her! He was destroying her!

**He wanted to keep her**!

"ITACHI!" A blur of black and grey hit him full force when he turned, sending them both tumbling to the ground. How had she caught up to him? How had she moved that quickly?

_'When did she get so fast?'_ he thought faintly, staring down at the bundle curled up in his lap. She was gasping in air, trying to make words come out as she breathed.

"How did you do that?"

"You... Can't... Leave... You... Promised!" she managed to get out, rolling off him and coughing harshly, "I... Hate... Tele... porta... tion... Jutsu..." Ah. That was how she caught up. Her words hit him a second later and he was goggling at her in shock. He'd tried several times to get her to use a Teleportation Jutsu and she'd barely made any progress. Now, however, it sounded like she'd come from a long ways. He was already half-way back to the base!

_'The only person I can remember moving that quickly in that kind of distance was the Yellow Flash!'_ He was reaching over and rubbing her back soothingly before he could stop himself. Was she the kind of person that performed better under pressure?

"Take a few moments to breathe normally. The nausea will pass," he murmured, his mind already whirling with possibilities. If trained properly, Kagome could be an excellent ninja! Wait! Wasn't he just trying to walk away from her? "Why did you follow me?"

"... Because that couldn't have just been the end. There's more that you're not telling me," she looked up at him, tears tracing her cheeks as she held on tightly to his cloak to keep him from escaping again, "So stop making yourself out to be the bad guy and tell me the rest!"

Itachi bit hte inside of his cheek and nodded a moment later. He told her about how he couldn't bring himself to hurt his little brother, about meeting Madara for the first time before everything happened, about the deal they made where he would help the older Uchiha exact his revenge on his clan as long as he didn't lay a hand on the citizens of Konoha. He continued, appearing before the Hokage to plead for Sasuke's life and safety, going to Danzou to ensure that if anything happened to his younger sibling, he would leak every bit of information about Konohagakure to anyone that was her enemy.

"I fled after that, my reputation in tatters and my brother hospitalized for mental trauma. I tortured him, so that he would one day walk the path of revenge. So that I would die by his hands, turning him into a hero of the Leaf. I traded everything for him. He hates me; more than you can possibly imagine. I spent a year roaming the lands, gathering information, playing a willing puppet to Madara's whims. I had to make him see that I could be trusted. And then, I joined the Akatsuki."

Kagome swallowed. She'd heard of the imfamous criminal organization, and their horrendous acts against the entire ninja world. Itachi was a part of this group? It hit her suddenly; all the people she'd met through him were also members of the crime syndicate. The Uchiha tilted his head at her and nodded.

"I see you've put the pieces together. Was it really wise to come after me now? You're away from the village. No one would hear you if I snapped; if I killed you," he murmured, leaning in and staring her down with bright Sharingan eyes. He wasn't sure when they activated, but everything was sharper, and he knew that he made an intimidating picture.

"I... I still stand by my words. I still know that you're a good person, Itachi, that had to make some really **really** difficult decisions," The priestess broke eye contact with him, letting her blue eyes slide shut as tears started gathering again, "I can't imagine how hard it was for you; how much it hurt you to have to do those things. But you did them for your brother. You love him more than anyone else in the world. You did it for the family you wanted to protect with everything you had." Kagome let her head raise up and she smiled softly at him, "That is something I **can** understand. Love, family, peace. They all go hand in hand. You say you're bad, that you're evil and heartless," she set her hand against his chest. He didn't realize it was beating so fast until the pressure of her fingers settled there. "But I can feel it, and I can sense it in everything you just said. So, stop trying to be such a badass and be yourself for once."

Kisame's voice suddenly echoed back in his mind. "_You'll be fine. You heard what she just said. The whole judging thing; she'll definitely see your side."_

He was right. The shark was right. She did see his side of it. And she was still here. Itachi hung his head, letting it rest against her shoulder as she blinked in confusion.

"Itachi?"

"I think... I understand you a little more. I'm being ridiculous, aren't I?" he sighed, letting her wrap her arms around his back; letting himself **enjoy** the feeling of being protected, being cared about. How many years had it been since he'd been trusted so unconditionally?

_'I understand now. I can't run from you, can I? I'm stuck with you, and I don't really mind,'_ the former heir thought, shakily raising his arms to return the embrace, _'No more running. I'll stay this time. For good.'_

"Did you... ever grieve for them? Your clan?"

"Ninja don't grieve, and even if they did, they don't do so for traitors," he replied automatically, years of those words being drilled into his brain by his father surfacing again. Those words had always held a foreign taste on his tongue, the thought that the man still had some form of control over him grating even now. Kagome jerked back and glared up at him.

"There's nothing wrong with mourning for family, Itachi. Even if they were traitors, they were still blood." He merely shook his head slowly and refused to meet her sharp gaze. Finally, after a few moments of silence, she sighed and pulled away. Standing up, she dusted herself off and held out a hand to him. For a moment, he'd been sure she would be the one to walk away this time, but when she turned back to him to hold out her hand, his heart settled and that warm feeling inside that had been growing so rapidly shivered in anticipation. As he took the offer, he had to wonder what was going to happen in the future. He certainly couldn't go through with his original plans now.

He needed a new plan. One that would involve the young woman dragging him back to her home.

"I had a plan, by the way. But I believe it's time for an updated version." Kagome turned to him in question, ready to hear what he had to say.

"Originally, because I _am_ technically dying right now, I intended to survive until Sasuke grew strong enough to match me. I would have at least died in his presence-!"

"You're not dying!" she interrupted harshly, the hand holding his tightening to an almost painful extent, "No one is dying... Unless it's Madara. He's bad news. Like, Naraku bad news."

"I have to agree with you there. Madara is the epitome of evil."

"And this new plan better not have you **or** your brother dying!"

"... That was the point. I do intend to live as long as possible now. In fact, this is what I had in mind."

"I'm listening..."

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It was time to make his choice. Stay and allow his association with the Akatsuki to possibly kill her? Or cut ties with the criminal organization and flee with the woman he loved?

_'In reality, it is a simple choice,'_ the Uchiha thought, sneaking down the hall and picking the lock to Madara's personal office. The older man was out on surveillance and reconnisance, and everyone else was currently not in the building, so there was no way he'd be caught tonight. _'I've already gone over the plans with Kagome, and she's agreed that this is the best-case scenario.'_

Rifling through the contents of Madara's personal records and plans gave him a sense of elated glee, but he forced himself to remain calm and gather everything incriminating against the older Uchiha and the Akatsuki in general. He would warn Kisame to tell the others to get out, while they still had the chance, before he let the hunter nins have at the organization. He was sure, though, that despite Konan's support in all this, she would never abandon the Akatsuki. Not as long as Pein was still in it. It was a painful to think about the woman that had taken him in like an almost younger sibling.

Several storage scrolls later, the Sharingan master carefully started putting all the information back in their filing cabinets. As he shoved some files back in the last drawer, though, an irregularity in the bottom caught his eye, and he set his work aside to reach down in it. A few inches before he made contact, though, he froze, activating his dojutsu and scanning the bottom. It was a good thing he had. The spider-silk of a nasty trap was weaved along the bottom, one that he was sure would have trigger Madara's immediate return to the hideout. Disabling the trap took a few precious minutes, but he wasn't a genius for nothing. Now, free of obsticales, he pushed the false bottom up and pulled out the thick book that lay underneath.

It was an intricate history of the Uchiha clan and the Sage of Seven Paths. Eyebrows raised in curiosity, he tucked the book into his cloak and quickly reset the trap before putting the correct files back in and closing the drawer.

_'Do I have time to go through that book shelf?'_ Itachi thought, glancing at all the volumes that he was sure hadn't been available in his clan's prestigious library. Gliding over on silent feet, he scanned the titles and dismissed most of them. The ones that caught his eye were books he'd seen here and there in his travels; ones he could easily get a hold of. One he pulled out and set to the side, and another he glanced through the first few pages before discarding and setting back on the shelf. Turning away, he picked up his chosen book and prepared to drop it in his sleeve.

A small book hidden in it tumbled out, landing on the floor with a soft "sploosh". Picking the book up, he glanced at it and almost put it back on the shelf. Madara's scrawl in one of the pages caught his eye, though, and he flipped it open to that page. What he read had his eyes widening in fear and his breath catching in his throat. If what was written in this book was true, then the older Uchiha had an almost surefire way of gathering the Jichuuriki without any hassle.

All he needed was a powerful priestess.

_'Does he know that Kagome is one? Did she show him her powers when he tried to kill her? This is bad! She's in so much more danger than I could have possibly imagined!'_ Stuffing the books in his cloak, he gathered his scrolls and tiptoed out of the office, locking it behind him as he made his way quickly to his next destination. Skidding to a halt in the main meeting room, Itachi pulled out the lump of explosive clay he'd 'borrowed' from Deidara back when the blonde went through his things looking for information about Kagome, and set it on the center of the table. He was sure the resulting explosion would set off Madara's personal alarms and have him running back in a matter of heartbeats.

He needed to time this perfectly. Tacking several delayed exploding tags to the C-2 bomb, he fled as quickly as possible. Half-way to the village, the resounding boom shook the forest and sent birds flying in terror. He wanted to stop and gloat in victory, but he was more concerned about Kagome's safety at this point. Their plan would have to be carried out fully tonight.

They needed to leave. Now.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

A/N: Annnnnnd cliffhanger of sorts! Not as bad as the other one I did, but, yeah, in a sense, CLIFFYYYYYY! I hope you guys enjoyed this, because it was the devil to get everything put on paper. I knew exactly how I wanted it to go, and it still did its' own thing! Especially Itachi's confession. I think it turned out fine, though. But, let me know! Got it out a little faster too, didn't I? I always like to hear feedback!


	35. Escape

Summary

Kagome finally meets the infamous Leader-sama and convinces Itachi to play with fire again... Also, the running.

A/N: I really am excited about this chapter. Couldn't resist one last scene with Deidara and Sasori. Umm, the thing where he has that speech bit with the 'Un' or 'Yeah'? I fixed that. He says it now, but not after every friggin' sentence. Also fixed that in Chapter 33. On to a more entertaining note, every time I saw the chapter title for this one, I immediately thought of Dory from 'Finding Nemo'. Go on. Admit it. You did too. "Es-ca-pe. Funny it looks just like escape." Enjoy!

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

Kagome hummed quietly to herself as she looked around her home. It was a nice place quiet, quaint, it held a sense of peace and serenity that she'd missed when she'd originally lived at the shrine.

_'And now you're throwing it all away to run off with a guy that you may or may not be in love with. Kagome, you just never learn, do you?'_ She shook her head and readjusted the picture she was staring at. It was a pencil sketch she'd done of the shrine, and it was honestly one of her favorites. Reaching up, she traced the faded outline of the Goshinboku.

"I miss you all... Mama, Grandpa, Souta," the priestess murmured, her breath hitching for a second before she got herself back under control. Shaking her head, she turned away and started towards the kitchen.

Loud pounding and the jiggling of the doorknob, that she'd locked for once, alerted her to a harried nighttime visitor. Cautiously, she approached the hall and peeked out the window-

-Only to step back and throw the door open to let the person inside.

"Konan-san? What are you-!"

"There's little time to explain. Is Itachi here?" the older woman asked, stepping in and glancing around the hallway before brushing by the surprised priestess to begin searching for the younger member. It was the person that entered behind her that had Kagome immediately backpedaling in fear. By the description Itachi had given her, this man **had** to be the leader of the Akatsuki.

Pein had come with his partner to see her. It wasn't just the bright orange hair and the many piercings that gave him away. Those ringed eyes of his were incredibly intimidating.

_'Itachi said they're called Rinnengan,'_ the former time traveler thought, swallowing a whimper when those strange eyes fixed on her.

"N-No. I haven't seen him today." It was best to tell the truth; she hadn't seen the Sharingan user... yet. With this new development, though, she felt sure she was bound to. "Did... something happen, Konan-san?" The blue-haired woman glanced back at her leader briefly before sighing and taking Kagome by the arm.

"He won't hurt you. I made him promise not to," the blue-haired woman murmured, pulling the younger girl gently into the house. Pein followed rather sedately, a slight curiosity in his intimidating eyes.

"R-Right. Umm, why don't you guys come take a seat in the den," the former time traveler replied, stuttering out of sheer nervousness before getting herself under control and taking a deep breath. She was just going to have to trust the female missing nin on this one.

Directing them into the room, she huffed and shuffled over to set aside the painting she'd been working on. This one was a full color one of the Goshinboku in spring, the hazy cherry blossoms it always bloomed out once a year blazing across the picturesque scene.

"That one will turn out nicely," Konan commented, nodding in approval before taking a seat on the couch.

"Thanks. I have a few more, if you want to look at some of them. I think I'm going to start selling them," Kagome replied, almost forgetting the silent orange-haired man was there. He didn't seem evil, just... different. _'His aura certainly doesn't scream evil. It's dark, I'll give him that, but definitely not evil like Madara's.'_ She almost shuddered as she remembered the older Uchiha's energy.

"I might just-!"

"Konan, we are here for business, not leisure," Pein suddenly spoke, quietly interrupting the women's conversation. And that put the priestess's attention back onto him in an instant.

"So... What happened?"

"Itachi has been working on some things... I believe he plans to leave the organization," Konan sighed, unconsciously folding a piece of paper into the shape of an intricate butterfly, "We have not spoken to him, as of yet, but if he does, we'd have to track him down."

"I... haven't heard anything. Itachi may be a friend, but he doesn't really tell me that much about what he does," Kagome lied as convincingly as possible. She knew exactly what was going on, she just had to make them believe that she was in the dark about it all. Pein's eyes narrowed just slightly; the dark-haired girl restrained every urge in her to keep from twitching or sweating out of anxiety. "He thinks that I'm supposed to be this innocent little girl that doesn't know what he's up to. I know he's a ninja, and in some kind of organization. I know that you and several others are working towards some unknown goal that he won't tell me about. And I know that the two of you can probably kill me at any time you wish."

_'Clever girl. She knows the risks,'_ the leader of Akatsuki thought, nodding once while his partner refrained from wincing.

"But I also know this," the priestess continued, sitting up straighter and leveling surprisingly cold looks at the two former Ame nins sitting across from her, "Itachi is my friend, and I care very much about him. I know I'm not a huge force to be reckoned with, but if you try to hurt him, I will do everything in my power to take down your damn organization and everything it happens to be working for! I promise that!"

_'Let them think that I'm weak. If they hurt my Itachi, I will cut them all down!'_ The steely determination surprised Pein and Konan. Never had the blue-haired woman considered the younger lady sitting so daintily across from them to be a threat of any kind. But, no one made that kind of a promise to someone like Pein without the power to back it up. And by the sudden static feeling pressing in the air around them, Kagome certainly could, and would.

_'She's very protective,'_ Konan thought, a light of approval entering her amber eyes.

"... I see. You're **that** kind of person," Pein finally murmured, nodding slowly to the geared up priestess in deference, "I understand. You realize that this will put you as an enemy of the Akatsuki should you attempt something like that."

"Don't hurt Itachi and you won't ever have to worry about me being an enemy of any kind," Kagome replied just as quietly, tamping back down on her emotions and shoving the power leaking out of her back into the recess of her soul. There wouldn't be a need to fight now, so there was no reason for the intimidation tactic anymore.

Pein nodded and rose to his feet. Turning and motioning for Konan to do as well, he glanced back at Kagome with all seriousness. "Should something happen, I will not be able to completely stop the others from mobilizing. I act as leader, but the true iron fist of the Akatsuki is someone even I can not completely defeat. He lives a life in shadows and he is strong."

The priestess had a pretty good idea of who it was that was leading the criminal organization. "If you don't like it, why do you let him continue to rule?"

"Because having someone like Madara Uchiha as your enemy is as good as signing your death will." Without saying goodbye, the orange-haired man left the room. Kagome blinked, then swallowed silently as she looked to Konan. Amber eyes sparked at her sharply in vague amusement.

"He was impressed by you. That means he likes you," the older woman quirked a tiny grin at the flabbergasted girl and bowed slightly. "If Itachi comes by, be ready to leave as quickly as possible."

With that, the two Akatsuki members silently slipped out and headed back to base. Their mission was complete, and now all they had to do was wait.

They did not expect to run frantically back to a base that had been decimated with a C-2 explosive.

"... You have **got** to be shitting me," Pein growled out, Rinnengan eyes flashing in fury, "**He blew up the base**!"

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

The next time she saw Itachi, he looked a little shell-shocked and his aura screamed nervousness. Ushering him in quietly, she pushed him onto the couch and stated to head into the kitchen to make tea. His hand clasped her wrist and he jerked her to him. The priestess overbalanced and ended up in his lap instead, a sour look on her face.

"Itachi! What's gotten into you! Let me-!"

"There's no time for frivolties and tea. You need to pack your things. We have to go," the former Clan heir hissed, eyes flashing red as he scanned the area again. Kagome watched him carefully, the color starting to drain from her face.

"You... You did something, didn't you? That's why Konan-san and Pein came here. They knew you were going to do something," she whispered, eyes widening when that cold gaze suddenly swung back to her, the tomoe in his eyes swirling dangerously.

"Leader-sama was **here**?" Horror filled the Uchiha at the thought that he wouldn't have been able to stop the Rinnengan user had he tried to kill the priestess

"Konan-san said that because I threatened him, he likes me," Kagome continued, stopping when the dark-haired male choked.

"You **threatened** Leader-sama?"

"Well, yeah. He was insinuating that he was going to hurt you. I told you before, Itachi, **no one** gets to hurt the people I care about," the former time traveler countered, a dark glare marring her pretty face before it was cleared again and she was bouncing over to a pack that had been behind the couch. "I'm ready to go, by the way."

He couldn't **believe** how reckless she was. It made his heart swell to know that she was so protective of him. "... Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Itachi!" Kagome ground out in exasperation, reaching out and pulling the front of his shirt until he was nose-to-nose with her. "I thought we already went through this! I'm. Not. Leaving. You. Get it through that thick Uchiha skull of yours!"

"Fine, fine! I know! I'm stuck with you!" Standing, he looked around the house that had become a home to him. With a pang in his heart, he realized he was going to miss this place. "I think I'm going to miss this house."

"Yeah... me too," Kagome sighed, looking around before her eyes widened comically, "Oh! I forgot something! Wait here!" She disappeared up the stairs, only to reappear a second later, grab his arm, and drag him up with her. "On second thought, come with me!"

"What? Where?"

"This way! Start pulling all the sheets off!" Opening the room that contained all her paintings, she practically threw him in before pounding down the hall to her room. Itachi glanced around, not really sure where to start, before shrugging and stepping over to the nearest covered canvas. Giving the white sheet a jerk, he unveiled the first of many paintings that would leave him dumbstruck in awe. This one was of a boy with long silver hair and triangular-shaped puppy ears perched on the top of his head, pinned to an ancient looking tree with an old arrow. He appeared to be asleep.

_'This... must be Inuyasha.'_ Funny, but he'd always imagined something... less human-looking. The next one he pulled was another picture of Inuyasha, brandishing an enormous sword and a fierce triumphant grin on his face. Most of the next ones involved the hanyou in some way or another. One with a ginger-haired child and him arguing, another as he lounged in a tree. Itachi moved on, pulling another sheet, and was met with a new face. This one was a woman, no, a teenager, dressed in ancient bone armor with a boomerange larger than herself slung across her back. _'And this must be Sango.'_

Portrait after portrait of her old friends were revealed, the monk Miroku next, the kitsune-child he'd seen earlier, Shippo, playing with a little brown-haired girl in a checkered kimono. An intimidating man in full warlord regalia with white-silver hair and bright golden eyes.

"You okay?" The Uchiha whipped around in surprise. He'd been so caught up looking at her canvases that he'd stopped unveiling them three-quarters of the way through.

"Yes... I never knew you had so many," he replied, glancing back at all the faces that now seemed ingrained in his mind. These people were friends and family to her. He would never forget them now either.

"I was... so homesick. I missed all of them so terribly that I couldn't stop drawing and painting them. I ended up broke a lot of times just trying to get the supplies because my mind would not let them go."

"Do you still miss them?"

"I always do, but the pain is bearable now." Itachi watched her pull cloth aside to reveal even more paintings, these of a more modern setting and revolving around a shrine and three people. "This is my family. That's Mama." She pointed to a painting of an older woman that had Kagome's smile. "This is Grandpa." The elderly man was sweeping the grounds happily. "And... that's... Souta. My little brother." A boy, probably no older than 9, was bouncing a black and white ball off his foot and grinning amiably. There was another of Souta, this time standing under an enormous tree, smiling cheerfully. If he wasn't mistaken, it was the same tree that Inuyasha had been pinned to.

"Is that tree..."

"The same one, yes. That's the God Tree, or the Goshinboku. Inuyasha was pinned there for fifty years before I went back in time and released him. It's the same one on my family's shrine grounds." He turned to the priestess to find her staring almost longingly at the tree.

"Kagome... Why did you ask me to unveil these?" Surely, they wouldn't be able to take **all** of these with them!

"I... I want you to burn them, Itachi." The former heir's jaw dropped. Was she **serious**?

"No! These are your-!"

"They're my memories, Itachi!" Kagome burst out, quieting after a second, "Besides, I know I can't take them with me. There are too many."

"You don't have to give them **all** up, Kagome. Take two or three with you," Itachi offered, gesturing to the pieces. Deidara would cry if he knew what they were discussing, "One of your family, one of your friends, and another one you can't part with." Seeing the hope shimmering in her blue eyes made him realize hed made an excellent choice in telling her that. "You will have something to remember them by."

A few moments, and a little probing to hurry, later, she presented him with three portraits. One was a painting of her family standing in front of the shrine, another was of her group of friends from the past, and the third was an old sketch of the shrine and it's surrounding grounds. That one surprised him.

"Isn't this the one that was hanging downstairs when you first come in?"

"Yes." He merely nodded, carefully taking the sketch and laying it on the table in the room with the others. A few seconds later they were stored in a scroll that he marked and gave to her to put in her pack. She did so, brushing some dust from her black hakama.

"What did you forget earlier?" Kagome sweatdropped and pulled the chain from under her sleeveless black haori. The Shikon no Tama dangled from it innocently, though its' call still tried to haunt him.

"I almost forgot to get the Jewel."

"... It's a miracle that you've managed to hold on to it for so long," Itachi deadpanned, giving her a blank look when she merely huffed and crossed her arms in annoyance.

"If I could, I'd get rid of the damned thing." The silence became slightly strained, and the Uchiha decided to move on to another subject. Clearing his throat, he gestured to the paintings in the room.

"So... More arson."

She grinned, the tension in the room melting away. "Make it so I never existed, Itachi."

"Right. Disappear." He could work with that.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

They traveled through the night and for most of the morning. Near noon, Kagome begged for a short break. Nodding in silence, Itachi leaned back against the nearest tree as he watched the exhausted priestess flop to the ground and concentrate on trying to breathe properly. He would allow a half hour break, but that was all they could push for now.

"It's been... a long time... since I've traveled... like this..." the former time traveler puffed out between deep breaths, pulling out her water bottle and taking slow sips. It helped a little that Itachi had been training her on endurance, but with staying in the village for two years with little to no major activity, she'd lost some of her edge in speed. And now she was paying for it.

"You're doing much better than I anticipated. I was worried you would have passed out on me a lot sooner," the Uchiha replied, stretching his arms and striding over to her. Digging in his pouch, he produced a pill and handed it to her. She took it, confusion marring her brow.

"What is this?"

"Soldier pill. If we start to slow, we can take them. It will give you a temporary boost in energy, as well as chakra, but overusing them has vast consequences on your body later. I recommend you wait until you think you need it."

Kagome nodded and smiled up at him in a way that sent a tingle down his spine. If they weren't on the run, he'd have done something about it, but his mind was spinning rapidly along strategy scenarios and possible traps. "Okay." She then popped the pill in her mouth and crunched down on it. Itachi visibly twitched and lunged for her.

"Kagome! I said wait!"

"I think I need it now, though!" He slapped a palm to his forehead, grumbled under his breath about "genins", and pulled her to her feet. Their allotted time was up.

"Time to go. "

"Wait, already? But why?" Kagome asked, confusion running through her as he quickly flipped through the hand signs to put their equipment into storage scrolls. Rolling them up, he handed her two and stuck the other four in his pouch. "We haven't even eaten yet!" Her stomach was inclined to agree with her at the moment.

"Those go in the pouch. Put them there and only take them out when I tell you to," Itachi demanded, ignoring her questions as he started rapidly applying several genjutsu to their makeshift campsite.

"Itachi! Why are we so rushed?"

"I tried to blow up the base, okay!" he bit out, whirling around and pinning her with agitated Sharingan eyes, "I failed, unfortunately, and Madara knows. He'll come after us, and if he catches us before we reach the border to Fire country, he **will** kill us both."

The priestess froze in fear, remembering those murderous red eyes that had trapped her in their hypnotic stare. And the older Uchiha's terrible aura!

"How... You blew up your base?"

"... Yes." At her horrified look, he added quickly, "No one died. I may have... left Kisame an intricately coded note to evacuate the building as unobtrusively as possible. Everyone was out on missions. I borrowed Deidara's clay, stuck some delayed reaction exploding tags on it, lit it on fire, and the whole thing... went up in flames a few moments later."

"... Closet arsonist." It hit her a second later. "That's what you meant by 'more arson' the other day!"

Itachi snorted and held out his hand, "Yes yes, now please, let's go." A moment later, she laid her hand in his and he pulled her to her feet. "Do you remember how to stick your feet to the tree limbs?"

"Uh huh. But I'm not all that great-!" Kagome started, letting herself be pulled away from the 'camp'.

"It's fine. I'll catch you if you fall," the former heir interrupted, stopping at a tree and nodding at the thick trunk, "Up you go."

The priestess looked up into the branches and swallowed. They were going to be pretty high up. "... Just so you know, I don't like this idea." When she only received a muted pleading look, she sighed and concentrated her energy into her soles. Then, taking a deep breath, she charged the tree and started running up it. Her feet stuck, thankfully, and she kept going until she reached the nearest branch, reaching out and clinging to it almost comically. "Okay! I'm up!"

"Good," came the Uchiha's voice somewhere below her. She felt a whoosh pass by her and looked up to see him balanced perfectly on the next branch up. "No time for a break, Kagome. We need to keep moving."

"Right. I'm just... getting my bearings. I think I'm ready," she murmured, glaring at her tree branch in annoyance. Sure, Itachi had been climbing trees and jumping in them a lot longer than her, but did **have** to show off? Manuvering carefully, she situated herself until she was standing on her branch. Looking up, she smiled enormously at the ninja and gingerly hopped to the next branch. Itachi twitched in horror when she windmilled before steadying herself and jumping to the next one. Inwardly, he was surprised that she was adjusting so quickly, then remembered a conversation they had not too long ago.

_"I learn better wth experience. For some reason, I'm a more hands-on kind of person. I guess it's because I had to fight to stay alive for so long,"_ she'd said, grinning happily as she flung another shuriken at one of her targets. She'd missed that throw, but managed to nick the side of the tree in passing.

_'This... has bad idea written all over it.'_ Gritting his teeth, he vaulted over several branches and caught up with her in one leap. The priestess was quickly getting the hang of it, but they needed to move faster. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he jumped with her and propelled her much farther than she originally intended. She squeaked and grabbed onto him.

"We need to go faster, so we'll travel like this until you get the hang of it," the former heir explained, getting a nod as she went back to concentrating. Eventually, she was propelling them along as much as he was.

"Itachi?"

"Yes?"

"What's a genin?"

"The lowest rank a ninja starts out with once they graduate from the academy."

"Oh." A few silent moments later. "Does that make me a genin?"

"... I'm not really sure, to be honest."

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

The two renegades continued to the Fire Country border at a quick pace, night falling and surrounding them. Just as Kagome was about to open her mouth to request a break, and maybe a nap, Itachi skidded to a halt on his tree branch. The priestess, in an attempt to stop just as quickly, windmilled past him on sheer momentum. He reached out, snagged her dark blue obi, and yanked her back to him, steadying himself when she came crashing into his chest.

"Oof! Itachi! Why did you-!"

"Quiet! I'm sensing something." He hadn't meant to bark out the order like he had, but the tense situation had put him on edge. Just in his range of the Chakra Sensor he'd been keeping an absent eye on was a dark feeling trickling in. He couldn't quite suppress the shiver that skated down his spine when Madara's face came to mind. The older Uchiha was on the hunt, and he was closing in on them.

"What do you sense?" Kagome whispered quietly, looking him dead in the eye and mirroring the serious expression on his face. So, she could sense it too.

"Madara. He's far enough behind us that we can take a break for a few hours, but we have to be ready to move the moment I say so," the former heir murmured, his breath unconsciously ghosting across the girl's cheek and making her realize exactly **how** closely they were pressed. She bit her lip and inwardly slapped herself for being so silly. Now was **not** the time for her hormones to suddenly surface. A thought hit her suddenly.

"... How long have you been able to sense auras, Itachi?"

"Since the time I went looking for you and you were drowning."

"I see... How did you manage that?"

"I... In a fit of anger, I tried to set the well on fire." She goggled up at him in shock and he shrugged, "It bounced off a barrier, flared up, and something from the well attached itself to me. That thing seems like it's almost... sentient."

"Yeah. It's kinda creepy, huh?"

"Very." They hopped down to the ground, and he motioned for her to not speak until he told her to. She nodded and licked her suddenly dry lips in anxiousness.

Itachi gripped her hand tightly and pulled her into the shadows. Without making a sound, he turned her attention to him and put a finger over her lips to keep her quiet. Then, he motioned ahead of them and for her to stay put. Kagome nodded and allowed him to slip away from her. Fear gripped her heart and made her stay perfectly still for the next ten minutes; otherwise, she was sure she would have been a bawling mess right about now.

A rustle of bushes near her had her twitching and quelling the urge to immediately run, but a flash of black made her relax. Itachi wore black. He was back safely.

"You scared me," she whispered, placing a hand over her racing heart and grinning at the shadow.

"... You don't know how to read chakra, do you?" a harsh voice hissed out, making Kagome's eyes widen in terror. The aura that suddenly flared to life **was not** the Uchiha. She opened her mouth to scream at the top of her lungs, but a pair of hands clamped over her mouth. They, suspiciously enough, had a pair of mouths on them, and the tongues licked her cheeks aggresively.

_'Oh gross, gross, gross!'_

"No no no! Don't scream, yeah," another voice whispered in her ear, one that she instantly recognized. Turning her head, she locked wide gazes with the visible blue eye of Deidara. He smiled genially before a black look descended over his features, "If I had known that bastard Uchiha was gonna use my exploding clay, I would have left a lot less, yeah. Tell him he's a shit arsonist." She nodded in agreement and he let go of her mouth. Taking a deep breath, the priestess made a great show of wiping the drool off her cheeks as she glared at the sheepish blonde. "Sorry. They like you." Holding up his hands, he winced inwardly when the tongues on them wagged lasciviously.

"That. Is. Disgusting."

"Deidara! If you don't hurry the hell up, Itachi will come back, and he will actually **try** to kill us this time," that gravelly voice spoke from the shadows again and sent shivers of fear down her spine.

"Right right. I gotcha, yeah," the bomb's expert grumbled, waving the hunched-over shadow off and turning his attention back to Kagome.

"Deidara-san! Who is that?" she whispered, leaning close to the blonde as she tried to not freak out and jump from any sudden movements. He gave her a flabbergasted look.

"That's danna, yeah!"

"... Who?"

"Sasori!" Kagome peered much more closely at the figure and shook her head.

"I... don't see it. Is this some kind of stupid joke?"

"No! That's an armored puppet that he wears when he fights! Danna's inside it, yeah!" He started to pet her hair, but she shoved him away unceremoniously and approached the shadowed figure. Once she got close enough, her curiosity started to get the better of her.

"Oh... wow! You made this, Sasori-san?"

"In a sense, yes."

"That's amazing! Is this-!" She reached out to the tail to try and feel the metal, but Deidara was next to her between one heartbeat and the next, pulling her hand away sharply and reprimanding her like a child.

"Don't touch **that**, yeah! It's poisoned!"

"R-right! Sorry!"

"It's a wonder Itachi's kept you alive this long, yeah!"

"Hey!" Kagome countered angrily, putting her hands on her hips and glaring at the blonde.

"Deidara!"

"Right! Danna and I can probably hold off Kakuzu and Hidan for a little while, yeah. You don't know Kakuzu, and Hidan is an ass. He said he wants you as his next sacrifice." That made Kagome twitch and want to 'sit' the insane Jashinist all over again. "All I have to do is insult that idiot's religious views and 'Bam!', instant fight, yeah," the former Iwa nin explained, steering the time traveler away from the pointy end of Sasori's puppet's tail, "Kisame, on the other hand, is someone that Itachi will have to deal with, yeah. In a way, the jackass betrayed him. The others... well, Konan didn't come and Leader-sama is with her, yeah. Zetsu is tricky, and can phase through the ground cause he's this plant-human hybrid thing, yeah. Don't end up alone with him, otherwise, he'll probably eat you, yeah."

"Why... Why are you doing this?" He blinked, and if Sasori hadn't been covered in another puppet, she would have seen the same reaction from him, "Why are you helping us?" Deidara sighed loudly and avoided eye contact with her. There was an unmistakable flush across his cheeks though.

"Because... As much as I hate that asshole... I like you. And you balance him out, yeah. So, really, I'm helping you." Kagome swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. "Now, the plan is to make sure the two of you get to the border before we do, yeah. Cause if the Akatsuki beat you there, you're dead."

"Time's up, Deidara. We need to go." Sasori turned away and began to slink back into the shadows, "Kagome-san, perhaps we will meet again, someday."

"Right then!" And with that, the nefarious blonde swooped in and settled his mouth on the startled girl's. Kagome blinked, first in shock, then in annoyance; but before she could muster up the energy to decide to slap the crap out of the sneaky blonde, he was being dragged away by his partner with an enormous grin on his face.

"You tell that asshole that if he doesn't take care of you, I'm coming to steal you away from him, yeah!" And then they were gone, leaving an irate Kagome to contain the urge to scream as she waited for Itachi to get back.

_'That... THAT SNEAKY JERK!'_

Itachi was going to be so pissed.

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A/N: And let's stop there. Next chapter, what you all have been waiting for. -takes deep breath- FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT! And let's just pray that I can do it justice. And we are creeping closer and closer to the end.

Anyways, I like reviews! They're nice!


	36. Purify

Summary

Kagome has a plan. Itachi is not pleased with the idea...

A/N: For some reason, I have a very difficult time writing out fight scenes. I can picture them, but it's really hard to put them into words. I hope I've done them some sense of justice. Anyways, let me know what you think! For those of you that have reviewed, thank you for getting this story to 900. I can not believe how many supportive people are out there cheering for this story. I'd love to hit that 1000 mark, if you all can help me. Okay! Here we go!

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It was two days and several moments of dragging him back on track- he was going to **brutally murder** Deidara the next time he saw him- later that someone finally caught up to them. Itachi could have howled in anger. They were **right there**! The border was only a few miles from them!

Sadly, the exploding tag that had been planted did not wait for the Uchiha to throw a hissy fit before going off with a bang. In fact, if it hadn't been for his quick reflexes, Kagome would have been blown to pieces. As it was, she came out with one arm singed.

"Damn motherfu-!" His arms bundled full of the shaking priestess, he surveyed the damage with bright Sharingan eyes and literally saw red in unrestrained fury. It wasn't bad, but she'd still been hurt under his care.

"It's fine! Just keep going!" Kagome gasped, tears pouring from her cheeks due to the pain and the smoke surrounding them. They shot out of the wooded area and skidded to a halt in the next clearing.

Madara Uchiha was waiting for them, calm as a cucumber and red Sharingan eyes swirling in glee. The two teens didn't fail to notice that the older man had forgone his mask. Itachi briefly entertained the memory of giving the bastard a black eye before he was completely focused again as he gently set Kagome down.

"Itachi, I have an idea."

"Is it the one we'd discussed before?" Because he hadn't liked that idea. At all. He **hated** the very **thought** of using Kagome as bait!

"Yes."

"... I still don't like it, but it might be the only chance we have," he hissed, observing Madara as he watched them just as carefully. Itachi was crouched in front of the priestess, barring her from the older Uchiha's mind tricks, but he knew the moment he moved, all of his 'Uncle's' attention would be on him.

"Making plans, Itachi? I thought I taught you better than that." Madara let a small smirk dominate his features before crouching in a fghting stance that was very similar to Itachi's, "I also thought I taught you not to carry around your baggage in such plain sight." He disappeared, and the teen whipped around, flaring through several hand signs and ripping open one of the weapons' scrolls. The tanto that flipped into his hands blocked the shuriken volley the ancestor sent their way.

Shifting his stance, the younger Uchiha rammed the tanto at the older man, only to bite back a curse when his body slid through it as though he didn't exist. Madara had a style of fighting that was uniquely his own. If you weren't careful, you would think you were fighting a phantom.

The older Uchiha smirked and realigned himself back in the current dimension before slugging Itachi violently and sending him flying. Kagome gasped and skidded away from the manical gleam in the other man's eyes. Itachi disappeared suddenly, alerting them to the fact that Madara had attacked a shadow clone.

The crackling of the ground made him jump away as the younger male suddenly shattered the earth underneath them and flung a volley of shuriken at the incensed ancestor. Did the boy really think an _Earth Style_ technique could stop him! Kagome swallowed the shout she was holding in and dove away from the falling rocks in the air as Itachi leapt from the hole he'd made in the ground. Jumping almost elegantly from boulder to boulder, he landed efficiently and spun around to face the older Uchiha again, Sharingan bright and whirling wildly.

Madara hissed in anger and flipped into a series of hand signs. Itachi was already way ahead of him, for once, smoking pouring erratically from his mouth in preparation.

_"Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu!"_ Kagome stared on in was the biggest fireball she'd seen... ever. The heat was literally making her sweat... and she wasn't even that close to it! She could only imagine how Itachi felt. She grit her teeth though, when Madara merely teleported away and reappeared a little closer to her.

Now, she just had to be patient and wait for the right moment. She hated playing bait.

"Really, Itachi. After all the training I put you through, you'd think you'd remember that most of your techniques don't work on me," the older Uchiha announced, spinning and delivering a kick to the Itachi that had snuck up on him. It disappeared in a puff of smoke, but was followed closely by another Itachi that delivered a series of deadly looking kicks and punches.

Kagome followed the fight in shock. Itachi... was really fast. She'd never seen a human move that quickly!

_'Then again, I don't think he's a hundred percent human,'_ glancing at his red eyes, she nodded to herself and planned another piece of her plan of attack. She'd have to be very careful not to purify Itachi's Sharingan if she was going to definitely go with her plan.

Madara dodged several hits, blocked the rest, then punched a hole through the Itachi he was fighting. Kagome swallowed, worried for a moment that it was the real one. When it disappeared, though, she breathed a sigh of relief. She then twitched visibly when the former heir appeared next to her, crouched in a stance that belied how quick he was.

"Kagome, stay sharp. He'll try anything at this point," Itachi hissed, making her nod and rise to her feet. Madara "Tch"ed and zoomed over to the teenagers, his focus centered on the other Uchiha. He seemed a little shocked when Kagome stepped between them, smoke clearing from a release of one of her weapons scrolls and a ringing noise filling the air. The priestess grit her teeth and swung the staff around to catch the older man in the chin with the sharp golden rings decorating the top of the staff. She sent him flying with a satisfied grunt, the sacred rings jingling once again with the movement before sliding into a defensive stance in front of Itachi. It made her huff in annoyance when the clone disappeared.

For his part, the former Clan heir had never even **seen** her fight like that before! How had she been able to manuever so well? Were those moves that were taught to her by someone else?

"What... is that?"

"A shakujo. Miroku used one, remember?" Kagome replied, clinking the bottom of the staff on the ground and making the rings vibrate in the air. "Monks and Sages use them, but that doesn't mean I don't know how to either." She started to turn a smile up to him but choked when the tanto he'd been holding wrenched into her gut. Wide blue eyes stared up at him in shock, wondering why he would stab her.

"Whaa..." Itachi smirked darkly and a puff of smoke surrounded him. In the heir's place stood Madara. She'd been tricked!

"You poor trusting little thing," the older Uchiha cooed unpleasantly, turning the blade and shifting it upward harshly. It slid through her shoulder seamlessly and the priestess crumbled to the ground in shock. Smirking cruelly, Madara tossed the blade aside and reached down to try and take the staff from her blood-slicked fingers-

Only for Kagome to disappear and be replaced by a small paper figure with a slit through the shoulder. The jingling of those rings came too late, and Madara turned into the attack that came at him from above. Kagome was suspended for a few seconds in the air, dark hair flared out and expression fierce as she swung her shakujo and caught him in the face with the side that the top was situated, sending him crashing into the ground several yards away with a gash down one cheek. Madara sat up and hissed at the girl, wondering how in the **hell** she'd managed to trick him at his own illusion! He didn't have a long time to contemplate as Itachi walloped him upside the head again. This time, the younger man's fist actually connected with the ancestor and it jarred the older man painfully. He was sure his jaw was cracked at this point.

"What. The. Hell. Was. That!" Itachi hissed, jumping several paces away from a shaken Madara and leveling a furious look at the smug priestess.

"Shikigami."

"You **never** said you could do something like **that**!"

"You never asked, Itachi!" she retorted sharply, tensing when Madara stumbled to his feet, "And don't pay attention to me! He's right there!" The Sharingan master almost slapped himself for the genin mistake, but restrained the urge when the ancestor launched himself visciously at Kagome. She parried the initial slice, and reared back when his fist came at her head, but she missed the kunai that came speeding from her blind spot and puntcured her directly where she knew one of her kidneys were. The sickening purple color dripping from the small blade made her realize too late that it was poisoned. Ripping herself away, she twisted her staff and butted the bottom at the Uchiha, wincing when the momentum sent her **through** him. Coughing, she spluttered and rolled away to let Itachi try and take over.

_'At this rate, he's going to kill me before I can be ready!'_ the priestess thought frantically, putting a hand to her side and glaring angrily at the blood that came away. She had to do **something**! And it had to happen **now**!

Itachi flipped over and used his momentum to swing a kick at Madara. Nimbly dodging, the older man gripped his shin and threw the younger one off to the side. "I'll deal with **you** later!" he snapped, rushing at Kagome with a speed neither of them had known he possessed, "You die first, little bitch!"

_'I'm not going to make it!'_ the former heir thought in fear, his heart screaming at him to **move faster**! He wasn't going to live without that bright spot that was Kagome! He needed her!

Kagome sucked in a breath in preparation as Madara descended past the intial line of defenses that she instinctively kept up. He was close enough now that she knew her plan would work. Now was the time!

"ITACHI! TURN IT OFF!" she screamed, barely dodging the swipe the older Uchiha attempted and grabbing his arm in passing. Furious red eyes turned to bore into her determined blue ones as she let loose on the pressure that had been building inside her. Pink flared to life around her hands, over her arms, her body encasing itself in a wild bright light. Those eyes that she could clearly see were no longer angry. Instead, they were wide in wild fear.

"What are you..." Madara hissed, bringing his other hand around to clamp around her throat. He howled in agony a few seconds later; unable to touch her glowing skin. "Bitch!"

"I've got you now! And I'm gonna hit you where it hurts the most!" Kagome growled out, purification sizzling in her blood as it rose up to destroy the one trying to kill her. Her eyes, no longer their vibrant blue, were an angry pink that swirled with her power. Letting go, everything went bright, Madara's screams of pain echoing around them as he tried to fight his way out of her hold. Everything was burning! His eyes! Oh, his eyes were on fire!

The younger Uchiha skidded suddenly to a halt, dropped to the ground, and slammed the door shut on his dojutsu the moment he saw the light eminating from the priestess, red eyes blackening in a flash as the wave of purity swept over him a second later. He breathed a sigh at the warm soothing feeling that washed over him, making every ache and pain he felt disappear. Even his lungs felt great.

_'It's like breaking the surface of water and taking in the air again.'_

The former time traveler grit her teeth and poured everything she'd been holding back into getting rid of the threat of Madara. She wanted him to have nothing left! He didn't deserve to be able to wield chakra when all he wanted was to use his abilities for evil and selfish purposes! And so, she would take that away from him forever!

Her powers swelled up as she met his terrified now black eyes, "I will make it so that you can **never** hurt anyone else **ever again**!" She let go of her hold, splayed her palm out against his chest, and doused him in another bout of purification, burning away his chakra and blasting him away from her. He was unconscious by the time he hit the ground again.

Staggering up a few seconds later, Itachi paid no mind to the unconscious Uchiha sprawled at the other end of the clearing. Instead, he made a bee line for the swaying Kagome. He caught her right before she crumpled to the ground in exhaustion, his dojutsu reactivating automatically in panic.

"What... what did you **do** to him?" the Sharingan user hissed, tomoe spinning in agitation at how low her reserves were. She'd really used a lot of energy to zap Madara when he charged her. And that injury she'd taken was still bleeding sluggishly.

"Well... I purified him," Kagome replied tiredly, leaning heavily on the Uchiha, "He's helpless now. He can't hurt anyone anymore that way. All that power he had is gone. There was... a lot more there than I thought. It just... took a lot out of me."

"Kagome... This was the stupidest plan I have **ever** participated in!" the former heir sighed, running a hand soothingly through the girl's dark hair. His hand came away with a distinct feeling of static, and he carefully switched off his Bloodline Limit so as not to trigger another flare of her powers. "But, it worked, and I can honestly say I couldn't have done this without you."

"I'm glad... He's not going to hurt you anymore. You're free, Itachi," the priestess murmured, clinging to the other teen and hugging him tightly. Itachi swallowed a lump in his throat and returned the gesture.

"We... should make sure."

"Itachi?" she asked, feeling him tense up. He stepped away from her and started over to the older Uchiha.

"I have to kill him." He started to pull out a set of kunai, but stopped when the girl launched herself at him.

"No! You don't have to-!" she started, clinging to the arm that held his weapon of choice.

"It's the **only** way to guarantee that he won't ever make a comeback!" he argued, not liking the pleading look in her eyes.

"Please... Don't make yourself do this!" Kagome whispered, tears gathering and clinging to her lashes. "Let's just... leave him. He can't hurt anyone now."

He thought about it, really truly wanted to do exactly that. And then, he was hit with a brilliant plan.

"All right. We're close enough to the in-between that ANBU will have sensed what was going on here. All that power you siphoned off will have alerted any patrol that's watching the border also. They can easily pick him up and take him to confinement until his crimes are metted out." Kagome nodded quickly, relief filling her. She didn't want Itachi to have to kill if it wasn't necessary anymore.

"Okay! That's a great idea." She turned to the oher Uchiha, consternation making her brows furrow, "but, we have to make sure he won't escape." Itachi grinned visciously and pulled out one of their scrolls. "You've got a plan?"

"Indeed."

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Madara groaned and blinked open his eyes. Why the hell was everything so... blurry? Was he... tied up? To a tree? Two young faces came into his line of vision, and he refocused on them. Itachi and Kagome grinned down at him genially.

"Congratualtions, Madara. You've just been completely purified," the young Uchiha announced smugly, eyes traveling down his former teacher briefly before coming back. The older Uchiha seemed stunned. What, exactly, did that mean? He hadn't realized he'd asked the question out loud.

"That means you're Sharingan is gone. As is your impressive chakra. Basically, you're nothing more than a common civilian at this point. You have no jutsu, no dojutsu, and no genjutsu," Itachi explained, smirking at the choked noise that came out of Madara's mouth, "You'll live in that body. And you'll die in that body. I'd kill you now, but Kagome has taught me that it's not **fair** to kill someone so... defenseless." His words were in such a mocking way that the older Uchiha immediately became incensed and shakily tried to fight his bonds.

"You... You're lying, Itachi! There's no way in **hell** something that ridiculous could happen to **me**!"

This time, the younger Uchiha laughed quietly. Coldly. It was a sound that easily sent shivers down Kagome's spine. His arm secured around her shoulder, though, was warm and at complete odds with the ice that had begun to creep into Itachi's voice.

"Well, I guess you didn't count on me finding a **priestess** to protect, did you?" Finished with the conversation, the two teenagers turned and walked away, leaving a silent Madara to his insanity. A moment later, he heard the older Uchiha begin ranting at the top of his lungs about betrayal and consequences. Itachi couldn't really care less; after all, the only thing more important than Sasuke was walking at his side. Well, Kagome was stumbling, actually, and Itachi finally took pity on her and scooped her up in his arms. Tired as he was, the Uchiha was exceedingly proud of their teamwork.

"You did well, Kagome," he whispered, sniffing her hair discreetly and enjoying the somehow still sweet smell, "You can rest now. It's okay." The priestess didn't seem to need further convincing because she was out like a light seconds after his words. She'd been feeling lightheaded for a while now, and she was sure she was going to wake up in pain later.

"I will protect you. Always."

"There's **no way** a priestess of **that caliber** could exist right under my nose!" Madara screamed in the background, "You'll regret this, Itachi! I gave you everything!" Itachi chose not to answer, and instead performed a series of one-handed signs that teleported the two teenagers away from the battle ground. All that noise was bound to attract attention, and he didn't want to be there when the ANBU finally decided to catch up.

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A/N: Let me just start by saying this chapter was **hard** to write up. Also, long overdue, but it got all the necessary ends tied up and the kids finally kicked Madara's ass.

As always, I appreciate feedback in any form or fashion. Even some pointers, because I may just come back to this chapter and edit a little. Reviews are even nicer.


	37. Confessions

Summary

In which they realize that they care more than they ever imagined...

A/N: In this chapter, there's a little more of that romance stuff you guys have been asking about. I hope this ties you all over somewhat. I'm just kidding! I've been wanting them to smooch it out for ages now! Sooo... Let's see what I can dish out! Shameless fluff ahead. But before that, lots of drama! Quick update, by the way.

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When Itachi entered the next village with Kagome cradled in his arms, he got a couple of suspicious looks, but was otherwise ignored. He headed straight for a small clinic he knew existed to treat injuries for ninja that weren't exactly... **welcome** in hospitals. Swinging the door open, he made his way inside, glancing around and breathing a sigh of relief that there was no one else in the room. What would they think when they saw the infamous Itachi Uchiha stumbling in here, looking like he'd been through a war zone, and holding a teenage girl to him like it was the end of the world?

The receptionist, whom happened to be the doctor's wife, glanced up and pinned him with a look. "Ah. It's you. You're not the one that normally comes in here needing medical attention. Usually it's your part... ner..." She'd just noticed the bundle of dark clothes he was clinging to and the visibly distressed look in his normally blank eyes.

"Please... Help her." The woman was on her feet and skidding around the desk as she assessed the pale girl. During their fast-paced trip, he'd continually noticed that she was getting worse. A short stop had confirmed his fears. Madara had poisoned her when he'd managed to stab her, and it was working quickly through her system at an alarming rate. He couldn't understand why her powers weren't trying to eliminate the threat, or even healed it already, then groaned when he realized that she'd used every bit of her energy to purify the older Uchiha. It had taken everything, and now she was left without any kind of defenses. He'd forced her to swallow an anti-toxin that would hopefully stave off the more brutal effects, but her body hadn't taken it well. Half-way to the village, and still unconscious, a trail of blood had started trickling from her mouth. In a panic, he'd performed emergency medical ninjutsu to the best of his ability with what little chakra he had left. Now, he needed an expert. He needed someone to save her.

"This way. **Do not** jostle her anymore than you have, boy! Here!" the woman, Mitsune, if he remembered correctly, snapped out orders that he numbly followed, "Lay her here! HOKU! GET IN HERE!" Itachi settled Kagome as gently as he could onto a gurney, not wanting to let go of her quite yet. Manuevering his hands just slightly, he managed to slip the Shikon no Tama from around her neck without the other woman noticing. The last thing he wanted was to expose something so potentially dangerous to anyone else.

An older man stumbled into the room, took one look at the situation, and immediately melted into a professional mode. Brushing Itachi aside like he was nothing, he started taking the priestess's vitals and shook his head. "She's been badly poisoned, depleted energy, punctured kidney. She needs to be stabilized or she'll go into sceptic shock." All of the symptoms processed through Itachi's mind, but his body wouldn't respond. She was that bad? Kidneys could be replaced if it got too bad, right?

The next thing he knew, they were wheeling her into the ER room and shoving him out the door. "You have to wait here! We'll update you when we can, boy!" Mitsune gave him an extremely severe look, "And I will **want** to know how you dragged this poor young lady in here so messed up!" With that, she slammed the door shut and flipped on the light indicating they were working.

Itachi stood there, for once at a loss, and did what any sane person would have done.

He started praying. Hard.

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Almost two hours later, Mitsune and Hoku shook their heads and had to wonder how the girl had lived as long as she had. Her health was quickly slipping away from them and at this point, there was nothing more they could do. Her kidney was too far gone.

"Please... if someone can hear me. Either let this poor girl pass on, or give her the strength to live!" Mitsune prayed, asking, hoping that someone would hear her plea.

A few minutes later, the younger girl's condition suddenly stabilized and she started glowing in an eerie way. For her vitals to suddenly pan out and normalize in such a way was medically impossible, but she and her husband weren't going to complain. It just meant that they wouldn't have to inform the young man wearing a hole in their waiting room that his companion hadn't survived.

_'This girl... she's certainly not normal.'_ The pinkish glow died down, leaving both medical experts in awe. How had she **done** that? _'Is her chakra... self-healing? Is that even possible?'_

"Everything's... normal. She's... going to be fine," Hoku choked out, eyes wide and watching their delicate instruments take measurements.

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Itachi paced, worrying a hole in his brain as he blearily eyed the door to the ER room. They'd been in there for almost two hours, and the former heir **could not sleep**! Not when she might possibly slip away from him in the night. If he could, he would do **anything** to save her. He growled under his breath, kicked one of the chairs, and plopped down in it as he put his face in his hands.

He needed for her to be okay.

With nothing to do, and the waiting slowly driving him insane, he pulled the fabled Jewel of Four Souls from his pocket and turned the necklace over in his hands. So much power was contained in such a tiny bauble, and he knew of no forseeable way to access it. Not without dire consequences being wrought on him and Kagome.

_'Please...'_

_**'You... regret... You... feel helpless...'**_

He stared down at the Jewel, the faint glowing pink surface almost taunting him as the whispers of promised power penetrated his hazy mind. He knew that he was slipping in and out of reality; he hadn't been able to sleep at all, guilt wracking his mind. If only he'd been more forceful. If only he'd been faster! Stronger! Better! He could have walked away so many times! He could have prevented her injury, her very **involvement**, if he'd only been more mentally prepared!

But he'd been selfish and wanted her with him.

_'__**You wish to become better... stronger... I can give you that power...'**_ He wasn't sure what disturbed him more; the fact that he could coherently hear a voice speaking in his mind, or the fact that he was seriously considering the proposition.

"You... You're supposed to protect her. She's your guardian," Itachi whispered, staring unseeing down at the small marble in his hand.

_**'I can help you... You can have the power to save her... All you have to do... is wish...'**_

"... I wish..." he started, but cut himself off when the Jewel began to glow brilliantly in his palm. The smell of burning flesh hit his nose a second later, and he hissed as he dropped the delicate looking gem. A small imprint of where it had been laying was cauterized into his palm. It plunked to the ground, rolled for a moment in the direction of the ER room, then simply stopped. The light vanished as quickly as it had begun, and the Uchiha realized with growing horror that he'd almost done the worst thing that he could have imagined.

He'd let the voices coax him. He'd let them in and they almost convinced him that wishing to be stronger was the only way to help Kagome.

Shakily, he got himself back under control, pulled out a scrap of fabric, and scooped up the innocent pink jewel. He didn't **want** to touch it with his bare hands again. Roughly binding it in the fabric, he shoved it into his weapons' pouch and sat back to wait some more.

"... Damn fucking jewel!"

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Mitsune gasped when Kagome's eyes suddenly snapped open and she took a deep breath.

"No... Don't wish... It's all... lies..." she murmured before those haunting blue eyes slid shut again and she fell unconscious again. "Ita... chi..." The older woman rose to her feet and automatically headed towards the door. Pulling it open, she poked her head out and noticed the other teen's shaky appearance outside. He looked terrible.

"Boy." His head snapped up, dark eyes wide in fear as he darted to his feet. Between one heartbeat and the next, he was standing in front of her, the look on his face speaking volumes.

"How is she?"

"Alive. Sleeping, but she'll definitely live," Mitsune sighed, running a hand through her hair and pulling the door open a little more. "She woke up for a second, called for you, and went back to sleep. Come in here." Itachi nodded and brushed past her, heading straight for the bed that held the fragile looking priestess. "I have just a few questions."

"... Fine. Ask them."

"Is she a ninja?"

"No. Kagome is a civilian. She's not trained to kill."

"Her chakra..." Itachi swung his gaze to her sharply, the faintest impression of a Sharingan swirling in them. "Is she self-healing?"

"... I don't know. All I **do** know is that she **can** heal."

"That... explains it. She was going to die, but her chakra repaired the worst of the damage somehow. We'd already extracted and neutralized the poison, but her kidneys had shut down by then. She should have died, and yet, here she is, breathing normally and nothing wrong." She showed him the charts and the way her vitals had been monitored earlier. By those accounts, Kagome should have been dead.

_'Perhaps... starting a wish had jolted the Jewel enough to give her a boost,'_ Itachi thought, remembering the troublesome little marble stowed in his weapons pouch. He **refused** to share that kind of information with Mitsune and her husband though.

"How did she end up this way? She didn't get involved in that shady organization that you're in, did she?" The severe quality of the older woman's voice became downright hostile. It wasn't a secret that she didn't like the Akatsuki, but she was indebted to Pein and was considered their emergency medic if it was ever needed.

"No! I would **never** get her involved with **them**!" Itachi protested, a scowl flittering acorss his face before he calmed down again. "I left them. She got caught in the crossfire. Now I'm helping her. End. Of. Story." Mitsune knew she wasn't going to get anymore answers from the stoic teen, but still...

"You... left?" Itachi merely nodded and gave her a look that screamed 'You're dismissed. Get. Out.' The medic shuffled out the door, sending him one last look. This one, though, had the impression of a grandmotherly smile.

"Good. That makes one of you. Don't go back." She departed, leaving the Uchiha with an odd sense of pride.

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It was several days later before Kagome was released. Not only did Itachi treat her like she was a fragile piece of porcelain, but Mitsune and Hoku babied her until she couldn't take it anymore.

Almost beaning the Uchiha over the head with a book, she annouced, quite loudly, that she was "Just fine, dammit!" and that she wasn't going to "Drop dead the moment they turned their friggin' backs!" It was safe to assume that the volatile prietsess was back to normal. The morning after the outburst, the doctors gave her the okay and the two teens headed out of the village.

Their destination: Konohagakure.

_'Though a stop wouldn't hurt along the way,'_ Itachi thought as they entered a busy commercial village that had Kagome's eyes wide with wonder.

"Is this... your village? It's amazing!" she gushed, twirling around to see everything around them in excitement. There was so much to take in that she was getting dizzy just from trying. Itachi steadied her with an arm around her shoulder and laughed quietly.

"No. This is one that I've visited several times before, though. I knew you would like it. Kisame even stated as such," he replied, a melancholy feeling descending over them as they thought about the shark man.

"Was he... upset that you left?"

"... I doubt he was upset, but I did speak with him before the events took place. We agreed to disagree and go our seperate ways," Itachi sighed, running a hand through his hair as he thought about his former partner. Kisame had been swayed towards Madara's way of thinking for far too long, but he was also smart enough to see the former heir's point of view as well.

_"We all have our own opinions, Itach. Ours are just different. I'll take your advice, though, and disappear for a while since you plan to tell all once you get to Konoha."_ With that, Kisame had walked away and allowed him to return to Kagome in one piece; where he later found out that Deidara and Sasori had checked up on her. He was going to incinerate the blonde the next time he saw him.

"Will you miss him?"

"Perhaps." They later stopped at a tea shop to eat and relax. The Sharingan user was sure that there wouldn't be a lot of time to take leisure once they got to his home village. The food turned out to be good, and their server wasn't overly clingy either. It was probably because she thought the two were on a date of some kind and chose not to interfere. Neither teen managed to pick up on that particular vibe though.

"I can't believe you were so worried about me," the priestess grumbled, rolling the Jewel around in her pocket absently. It had become a habit after Itachi had literally shoved the thing at her and demanded that she never let him hold onto it again. When she'd probed him for further information, he'd haltingly told her about the voices and showed her his palm. The shiny burn was still there, probably would be for quite some time, and she'd taken his word for it. He hadn't seen the little bauble since.

"I suppose I must confess that I overreacted a little," he replied, giving her a deadpan stare as he swirled around the dregs of his tea in his cup, "But you **were** on death's doorstep, so it was a valid concern."

"I guess since we're doing a bit of confessing, I really gotta tell you something," Kagome sighed, leaning into the booth comfortably and closing her eyes.

"Very well. I will allow you to indulge me," the Uchiha muttered sarcastically, bringing the cup to his lips and taking a sip.

"Heh. When I saw you in that drugstore, I honestly thought you were gay at first," the priestess replied casually, purposely waiting until he started swallowing before talking. Itachi immediately choked painfully, his tea going down the wrong way and a horrified look on his face.

"WHAT?" he managed to hack out. Kagome grinned serenely, rubbing his back in small soothing circles.

"I thought you were-!" His hand slapped over her mouth and glanced around to see if he'd drawn attention to their little corner.

"I heard you **quite** clearly the first time!" Itachi hissed out, glaring in annoyance at a passing man that sent him a reproachful look. Why, exactly, was he in love with this girl? He signaled for the check quickly, paid, then pulled the priestess out of the booth. Though his grip on her arm was firm, it wouldn't leave bruises. That was the last thing he wanted to do.

"Itachi? What-? Where are we going?" Kagome spluttered, tripping to keep up with the fast moving ninja.

"You'll see," was his cryptic reply. A few blocks down, he turned them into an alley and pushed her against the wall. The priestess gasped and stared up at him in growing confusion.

"Itachi? What are you doing?" she spluttered, swallowing when he caged her in with his arms.

"Proving a point."

"What poi-!" Her words were swallowed when the former heir's mouth settled on hers. Her hands shot up to his arms in shock.

'… _What? What is he- Why is he kissing me?'_ Kagome thought faintly, following instinctively as he gently coaxed a response out of her. _'This is… nice.'_

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her close, recalled every single seduction technique he'd been forced to learn during his career, and poured his soul into the kiss. The sheer emotion behind the act left the priestess breathless. Itachi was always so careful with his feelings. He rarely let them show, though it was becoming increasingly obvious that he bared more around her than anyone else.

Was he really feeling all of this? For her?

_'This is... right. It feels right.'_ Then her mind shut down when he bit her lip and soothed the sting with his tongue. That felt **good**. Really good.

The fact that she responded with as much vitality as the personality she showed him every day only encouraged him, and before long he was losing control of the situation and pulling away rapidly, trying to catch his breath as he trailed small kisses down her throat. "Itachi..." It gave him all sorts of wicked ideas when she said his name like that. What he wanted to do was to take her somewhere private and give her absolutely no reason to doubt that he might possibly want to walk away from something with her. But...

He leaned back, resting his forehead against her shoulder as they caught their breath. "I'm not gay, Kagome. I think you know that now."

"Yeah... It was just a joke. I didn't think you'd take it so... seriously," she managed to get out in between breaths. He smirked and turned his head, letting his tongue trail up her shoulder to just underneath her ear. The priestess gapsed. "Stop that! It tickles!"

"You're ticklish everywhere," the former heir murmured, ghosting his hands up her sides and getting a strained giggle. He froze, though, when that lifted her shirt just enough to reveal a faint scar on her hip. And he had to wonder where she'd gotten it, because if someone in this world had done the deed, he was going to hunt them down and gut them the most painful way he could come up with.

"Itachi?"

"You got this... before you came here, right?" His hand spanned the width of the star-shaped mark, truly wondering how she'd even survived such an injury without bleeding out. Kagome nodded and bit her lip.

"You remember me telling you about when I first found out that I had the Jewel?" At his nod, she continued, "That's how I found out. I was born with it inside me, and when the well activated for the first time, Mistress Centipede dragged me into the past, later got a hold of me, and pretty much took a chunk out of me to get the Jewel. I think when my powers came to life, it repaired most of the damage, but I wasn't going to be left without a scar."

"And that explains the fear of bugs."

"It's not bugs in general. Just specific ones." At his deadpan look, she muttered, "You try getting attacked by a naked centipede lady that's the size of a train and see how **you** handle it!"

The Uchiha blinked, wondering how they'd managed to go from making out to talking about naked centipede women. "This conversation is getting a little odd for my liking."

"Yeah... What do you want to talk about then?" Kagome asked, slowly trying to push away from the wall that he'd trapped her against. The gleam in his eyes gave her a pretty good idea of the subject. Instead, he leaned back down and brushed his mouth against hers in a caress that sent tingles up her spine.

"I don't want to talk, Ka-go-me." No, he'd much rather kiss her seneless again. Which is exactly what he did. He wanted to leave her as breathless as possible with no doubts in her mind that he definitely wanted her.

"Itachi?" the priestess murmured, swallowing the urge to groan when the hand resting at her hip started to trail up her back, pushing her more firmly into his body as his lips whipsered down the side of her neck again, "What... What am I to you?"

"Everything," he replied simply. He wasn't about to mince words at this point. "You have been the most constant thing in my life recently. Someone I know I can rely on when things become difficult. You are the reason I am even here today; the reason I changed, and for the better. I believe, had I not met you, I would have gone through with all of my original plans, and eventually, I would have died. In a way, Kagome, you saved me from myself." _'Just like how you claim I saved you.'_ The Uchiha glanced at her when she sucked in a deep breath and stilled. Her blue eyes were regarding him apprehensively and she pushed at his shoulders. Biting the insde of his cheek, Itachi took a small step back, but not far enough for the girl to break out of the circle of his ams. Had he said something wrong?

"Itachi... I gave my heart to Inuyasha once, and he shattered it without remorse," Kagome started, her voice holding a quiet quaver when she thought about her hanyou friend. He merely watched her, completely unmoved, and she finally understood the idea of someone seeing your soul through your eyes. She could see **everything** in his.

It terrified her. No one had ever felt that much for her before. Sure, Inuyasha had been her best friend, and he cared about her, but she'd never seen the play of emotions that were literally shining in the Sharingan user's sharp gaze. "I just... I don't know what I can give anymore. I mean, I really like you! Don't get me wrong! I'm just..."

"Afraid?" he answered quietly for her, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "You can take on Madara Uchiha without a problem, but you're afraid of starting a relationship with me?" She bit her lip and dropped her gaze shamefully, unwilling to see the hurt flash in his eyes.

"Fighting is different. You know that," she grumbled, almost moving with his hand as he stroked her cheek in a gentle motion. "This... is something so fragile, I'm scared to break it. I don't want to go back to being lost like that again."

"I know. I won't push you, but I'm not giving up either. Ever." _'Not anymore.'_

"Just... give me some time. I need to think," Kagome finally sighed, inwardly relieved when he nodded a moment later and pulled her out of the quiet side street. For the rest of the day, he showed her the town with all of its' sights and smells. She smiled, not as brightly as before, but still wide enough to put him slightly at ease. She wasn't rejecting him, but she hadn't accepted him either. It was a fragile balance, and he was going to do everything in his power to shift that in his favor.

_'Time. That's what she wants, so I will give that to her.'_ Unfortunately, he truly didn't **have** that kind of time. Not when they were so close to the end of their journey. The moment they entered the ninja village, their time would run out and their fates would be in the hands of someone else. Someone he wasn't sure would be willing to listen to his side of the story and believe it like Kagome had.

"Two days from now, you will be able to see my home village. I'm not exactly welcome, but I will guarantee your safety above all else, should things become... messy," Itachi explained, reaching up and stroking a hand languidly through the priestess's long dark hair. She bit her lip and gazed up at him in question.

"Are you sure it's a good idea? To confront your village like this?" She was worried; worried that these people wouldn't bother hearing what the former heir needed to say. If they tried to attack, she would be there to defend him. They'd made it this far together.

"All I ask," he murmured, letting the hand that had been petting her hair drift down to her shoulder. The moment it touched, he pulled her into his side and leaned down to bury his nose in the scented strands, "is that you have faith in me, Kagome. I will not let you fall."

Kagome blinked and nodded, her voice stuck in her throat. Despite her hesitation, she couldn't help but think that the next few days were going to test them even more. It scared her to realize it, but she was sure she'd already fallen.

For him.

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A/N: And moving the plot along for one final confrontation and twist. I hope you guys have enjoyed this chapter, all filled with drama and sweetness and good tingly stuff. This chapter wasn't really originally planned the way it came out, but I feel that it went over fairly well too. Anyways, I appreciate comments, reviews, pointers, and all that good stuff.

Please review!


	38. Decisions

Summary

Because, no matter what they want, the Hokage gets the final say...

A/N: So here is the next chapter! That being said, this one takes another person's point of view mostly. I also just want to say that I love Tsunade. I think she really is one of the most underappreciated characters of the Naruto franchise. Say amen if you agree with me!

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Tsunade didn't really know what to expect that morning when she got into her office and plopped down into her cushy Hokage chair. It certainly wasn't for Shizune to burst into the room wailing at the top of her lungs about something most likely inane. The slug princess didn't have the patience to deal with this at the moment. Especially since she was still nursing a hangover.

"What could possibly be so **important** that you **have** to make **that much noise**!" Tsunade snapped, glaring fiercely at the her dark-haired apprentice. Shizune was cowed, but only for a second, before she was snatching the blonde's wrist and dragging her out the door.

"Itachi Uchiha just came in at the front gate! ANBU and ROOT are everywhere! It's absolute chaos, Lady Tsunade!" the younger woman babbled out, not stopping in the least as they barreled down the stairs and headed for the front of the village, "No one can currently get to him, though, because there's a barrier that's been put up that even our barrier squads can't penetrate! You **must** do something! People are starting to panic! If Sasuke hears about this, he'll destroy the hospital just to try to get there!"

Tsunade officially hated the Uchiha prodigy.

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Outwardly, Itachi looked cool as a cucumber. Inwardly, he was sweating bullets. There were **a lot** of ANBU prepped to KOS the moment Kagome's barrier faltered. Yes, he had absolute confidence that his priestess would easily be able to hold up against the barrier squads panicking outside their little bubble, but if she did fall, how the **hell** was he going to fight off all these people in order to protect her?

"How are you feeling?" the Uchiha asked, glancing at his partner. She seemed to be fine, but was concentrating quite a bit.

"I'm okay. A litte strained because they keep trying to break through," Kagome replied, giving him a meek smile, "but I won't let them hurt you."

"It's not me I'm worried about," the Sharingan user murmured. There was a commotion in the back that caught both of the teenagers' attentions. People were starting to move.

"If you people don't get the hell **out of my way**, I will start throwing **punches**!" a woman's voice bellowed, scattering the ninja populace to the sides and letting through a thoroughly pissed off busty blonde. Itachi immediately knew who this was. The legendary sannin Tsunade, current Hokage of Konohagakure.

_'We might just be in luck after all,'_ the former heir thought, sizing up the woman and coming up interested. He knew what this woman was capable of. She could crush buildings with a flick of her wrist, smash craters the size of lakes with a touch of her heel, and bring someone virtually back from death's door with a touch of her healing chakra. The infamous slug princess was someone he immediately knew he could respect.

"So, the rumors **are** true," the blonde muttered, narrowing sharp amber eyes at the Uchiha prodigy standing calmly in the center of the riot, a bright pink dome of energy surrounding him and a pretty raven-haired girl he was shielding from various glares and sneers standing at his side, "You really know how to stir up trouble, boy."

He acknowledged her with a quirk of his mouth and a slight bow in respect, "Yes. I have that affect on people, apparently." He motioned to the guards that had been manning the front desk, both passed out in shock and puddles of drool. Tsunade visibly twitched, knowing she was going to have to rip into Kotetsu and Izumo's hides later.

"So then, why have you decided to just waltz in here like you own the place, Uchiha?" the Hokage asked, arching a brow sarcastically as he glanced at the various military officers surrounding them.

"Firstly, I don't waltz. That's just unbecoming," Itachi started, glancing at Kagome when she slapped a hand to her face and groaned under her breath. Tsunade resisted the urge to smirk. Despite obviously being under pressure, the Sharingan user seemed to still possess a rather dry wit, "Secondly, call off your ninjas and let's talk peacibly. Thirdly, I do techinically still own the Uchiha District, thereby a large portion of Konoha. So, in a way, should I decide to waltz, I have every right to." This time, the priestess gave him a sharp look and smacked his arm for his comments.

"Don't antagonize her, smart ass," she growled, huffing angrily when he merely reached over and mussed up her hair absently.

"You should listen to her, Uchiha. I might not be so inclined to let my hand slip and accidently put a hole through your head if you keep it up," the busty blonde drawled, cracking her knuckles in a somewhat menacing way.

"I do apologize. Apparently my brand of humor is as abnormal as myself." A couple of people had to agree with that. Even more were in shock. After all, Itachi was known for not possessing a sense of humor. At all.

"All right, now why are you here causing such a commotion?" Tsunade grumbled, crossing her arms and shifting her feet.

"It is quite simple really. I'm turning myself in. I have information that I know you and your allies would sorely wish to accomodate, however, I will not simply hand over what you want. This is a negotiation, not a capture. I am willing to make a deal with you," the Uchiha explained, many of the surrounding ninja gasping in shock. The infamous Uchiha clan prodigy was turning himself in? Kakashi was sure he was going to faint.

"I see. And how do I know we can trust this information."

"Two words: Madara Uchiha." The slug princess sucked in a breath in shock, bright eyes unbelieving. There was no way!

"That's impossible! My grandfather killed him!"

"Did the First ever make sure? Did he stay and wait to hear Madara's heart stop? For him to cease breathing altogether? He did not, and **that** is wherein lay his mistake." He took a breath and continued, "Besides, there is proof. Have you checked with your border patrol yet? I'm positive they have some interesting reports to give you."

"I haven't received those reports yet," Tsunade ground out, glaring again at the smug teen before continuing in a slightly curious tone, "Why the sudden change in tune, Uchiha?"

"My work with the Akatsuki has suffered due to my morales being re-evaluated. Therefore, I intend to do what is right. However, I demand that I am allowed to explain everything I have done since the moment I became an ANBU Captain when I was thirteen. I am **sure** that my information will prove extremely useful to you, Lady Hokage."

"... Very well. I will listen to what you have to say," the Hokage finally agreed after a long hard look at him that made him want to fidget, for some reason, "What about your friend here?"

"She is a civilian. She is not trained, and if she is harmed in **any** way, I will rip this village apart and take her with me into hiding. Forever," Itachi answered, glaring bright Sharingan eyes at everyone in the vicinity.

"Right then. She gets diplomatic immunity," the blonde woman sighed, raising her voice so that everyone gathered would hear her, "Did the rest of you hear that? If this girl is hurt, there will be personal consequences from not only myself, but the Uchiha as well! So don't screw up!"

"Yes ma'am!" was chorused all around them, making the Uchiha in question breathe a small sigh of relief. No one would willingly disobey a direct order from their Hokage.

Another commotion caught everyone's attention, and several shnobi parted to allow the newcomers in. Danzou and the elders had arrived on the scene.

"So it's true," the ROOT leader hissed, glaring hatefully at Itachi. Kagome shivered next to him and the teen shuffled a few steps in front of her to block the old man's view of her as he bared his teeth at the older man menacingly. "I knew this day would come! Do you see the traitor standing here in front of you? Why isn't he dead?"

"Because I've given every armed ninja orders not to KOS, at the moment, Danzou," Tsunade countered, a visibly sour look flitting across her face. She'd never liked the old war mogul, and his lack of any definable conscience only cemented her ire for the man. Her two councelers gasped and leveled severe looks at her.

"He should not be treated as a decorated hero, Lady Hokage!" Koharu's voice came out like a whiplash, and it took everything Itachi possessed of his self control to not immediately kill the woman. She was part of the reason for this entire mess.

"He is a dangerous enemy to the Leaf village!" Homura growled, glaring hatefully at the Uchiha.

"A danger to your position of power," the Sharingan user hissed, baring his teeth in fury as his shuriken hand twitched murderously. Kagome's hand on his arm barely stopped him.

"Itachi, please! You said you wanted to do this peacefully!" the priestess pleaded, staring up at him with large blue eyes. He pursed his lips in annoyance and relaxed again. It wouldn't do well to seem hostile; even if the old people deserved it.

"Well, Lady Hokage? Do we have an accord?" the stoic teen finally asked, pinning Tsunade suddenly with his dark eyes. Eyes that were pleading for her to understand; to **listen**! The blonde woman was torn. She could either hear the boy out, thereby learning what she was sure to be highly sought-after information about the Akatsuki, or she could cut her losses now and have him arrested without a fair trial. Glancing at her old advisors sealed the deal in her mind. They were all literally sweating in terror.

"Deal, Uchiha! I want a full report," she announced, raising her voice suddenly, "And I want news from the northern border patrol RIGHT NOW!" People scrambled to do as she said, Homura and Koharu shouted angrily, and Danzou pinned Itachi with a look filled with so much loathing that Kagome swayed on the spot for having that malicious feeling sent in her general direction. Her barrier flickered alarmingly before she was able to stabilize it again. The Sharingan user put an arm around her shoulders to steady her, uncaring that several high-ranking ninjas were goggling at him for the move.

Another commotion brought attention to someone shoving their way through the crowds, and the former heir almost winced at the abrasive electric feel of his younger brother's violent aura. Sasuke burst through the crowd, laid eyes on him, and launched himself angrily at the pair.

"Itachi! You bast-!" He was cut off suddenly when Kakashi seized him by the back of the collar and tossed the young boy over his shoulder. "Let me go, damn it! I have to-! Itachi! I'll fuckin' kill you!"

"Enough, Sasuke. He's here for specific reasons! Let go of your hatred and just **listen** to what he has to say!" the silver-haired jounin remonstrated in a stern voice. Sasuke struggled against the much larger male and directed hate-filled Sharingan eyes at his older sibling.

"But... doesn't he know?" Kagome asked quietly, heartbreak filling her eyes at the angry look the young boy that looked **so much** like Itachi threw them. The smaller Uchiha deflated in shock when his gaze connected with hers suddenly. He **knew** that girl!

"You... You were in his head..." Sasuke murmured, unable to process the information as he was carted off by his sensei. Why would his heartless brother have **her** with him? Hadn't he killed her?

Tsunade bit her lip and motioned for an ANBU guard to approach. Murmuring in his ear, the man nodded and followed the young boy and his teacher.

"What did you tell him?" Itachi asked, warily eyeing the disappearing trio as the slug princess sidled up to them.

"I told him to put your brother in confinement until he can calm down. I don't want him ruining things before he gets to hear what really happened that night," she replied, looking over the barrier and giving an impressed whistle. She just had to make sure... "This is quite an accomplishment. A sturdy barrier that holds up to the squads? Where did you learn that, Uchiha?"

"I didn't," the former Clan heir replied, gesturing to a somewhat shy Kagome, "Kagome excells at mystifying people."

"Interesting. It needs to come down if we're going to do this, though," Tsunade murmured, holding up a hand when it looked like he would protest, "In good faith, you must show you are willing to do this, Uchiha."

Itachi bit the inside of his cheek and finally nodded slowly after a few moments of indecision. The more he stalled, the more they would all think it was a hoax. Reaching out, he laid a hand on the top of Kagome's head and took a deep breath. "Let it down, Kagome."

The priestess let out a shaky breath and raised her hand. A few murmued words later, the pink dome shifted and dissolved into a dusty residue that whirled away in the air.

For a moment, no one moved.

The Sharingan master closed his eyes and held out his hands. "Go ahead. Do it." Tsunade nodded and signaled. Two ANBU quickly approached him. One clapped a pair of chakra restraining cuffs on his wrists while the other mumbled under his breath and hit him with a draining technique. He was helpless now; without any kind of power to wield. Finally, Tsunade approached him, touched two fingers to his forehead and placed a powerful seal on his reserves. He wouldn't be able to access them until she lifted it; of that he was positive.

"Itachi Uchiha, your trial begins now. By the powers invested in me, a full investigation will be processed. Do you, the defendant, have anything you would like to say?"

"Yes." Determined gray eyes met fierce amber and he took a breath. "Everything that happened that led up to the Uchiha Massacre was part of a secret mission."

There was instant chaos.

In the bedlam, Itachi was trotted off to the Interrogations Squad, and Kagome was left to watch as he disappeared. A light touch at her arm startled her and she met with the dark eyes of a black-haired woman with a strained smile.

"Come, you must be exhausted. My name is Shizune, and Lady Tsunade has asked me to get a testimonial from you. But after we get you cleaned up." The priestess allowed her to steer her in the opposite direction, blue eyes dark with worry and her heart racing.

_'Itachi... I hope you know what you're doing.'_ A thought suddenly hit her and she turned to face the other woman.

"I don't mean to be demanding, but can you take me somewhere after you get a testimony?"

"Umm... I suppose so, but I'll have to go with you," Shizune replied, surprised at the odd request.

"Good. I'd like to see Itachi's brother."

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Tsunade sat stunned. It was almost unbelievable the amount of useful information that Itachi Uchiha possessed! And the inner workings of Akatsuki! This was even better than all the information Jiraiya had been gathering for years! However...

"So then... I'll be going through the Third's files a little more thoroughly this time around. This... mission..."

"It probably wasn't documented in any way," the Uchiha replied, sighing almost imperceptibly, "It was supposed to make it seem the I went completely insane and I killed them for power. You'll have a hard time finding much of anything on that date that won't incriminate me."

"What if... What if I had a genjutsu user go through those memories-!"

"I doubt anyone in this village would be able to stomach any of my memories. Besides, having someone rooting around in my head would leave... a distinctly nasty taste in my mouth," the Sharingan user grumbled, earning a look from the Hokage.

"As if you haven't done it yourself."

"I am fairly positive that the only person that could do something like that is Sasuke, and his Sharingan isn't strong enough to be on par with mine."

"You've demonstrated that. I had to fix his mind, you know." At that, Itachi almost cringed, but kept up his reserved facade to perceive that he had no weaknesses.

"I'm afraid my little brother won't ever forgive me."

"He won't... unless you tell him the truth," Tsunade replied, sighing quietly and rising to her feet. The former heir followed her movements as she began pacing, wishing that his hands weren't bound and his chakra reserves cut off so harshly. Then again, the entire village still thought he was a crazy criminal, so for their peace of mind, he'd allowed them to drain him of his impressive chakra. He doubted he could even call up enough power to form his infamous Sharingan.

"The truth... will be just as harsh on him as the illusion."

"I imagine it would be. Your friend... that girl? Who is she, exactly? And don't say she's some innocent civilian!" She added quickly when the teen opened his mouth, "I can tell that she's **definitely** not normal. Start talking!"

"She's... Her name is Kagome Higurashi. She's a priestess, and she's the reason why I'm here right now. I'm doing the right thing for her sake," Itachi murmured, not willing to meet the knowing amber orbs watching him intently. For some reason, he could feel his face heating up. A widening of eyes and the drop of a jaw confirmed his suspicions. She'd seen that.

"You... You love her..."

"I **am** still human, prone to human emotions, and just as likely to fall in love with a woman as the next straight man," he retorted in annoyance, sending the older woman a petulant glare that he **knew** probably looked childish to her.

"Well... A lot of people assume you don't have a heart."

"I left my brother alive because I **couldn't** kill him. I'm too emotionally attached to Sasuke. Even now. I believe that more than constitutes the idea that I possess a heart."

"It's the same with the girl, isn't it?" At his nod, she sighed and turned away to pace again. This... was going to be an extremely difficult case.

"That is why I will continue to say that she had nothing to do with my plans."

"All right." The blonde woman grabbed her chair, scraped it over to him, and flopped onto it. "I did end up getting those reports from the northern border. Several ANBU encountered a crazed Madara Uchiha tied to a tree." She leveled a look at him and watched the smug light shine in his dark eyes. "I take it you had something to do with that?"

"Indeed. He may not talk now, but he's defenseless against jutsu as well." It was a good piece of advice that the slug princess would pass on to the Interrogations Squad.

"Start again from the beginning. If we're going to build a case, it needs to have the right elements."

Itachi almost goggled at her. "You... actually believe me?"

"You don't seem like the type of man to lie about something like this, right?"

"No. I omit the truth, and twist things a little, but I have only ever lied once. That was to Sasuke to make him want to hate me."

"Right. Best not to say anything about that yet. Let's get moving, Uchiha."

"... Very well. I was four when I witnessed my first battlefield..."

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Tsunade bit her lip as the heads of the other clans continued to debate back and forth about the case she'd presented on Itachi's behalf. Despite the fact that she truly did believe the young Uchiha, that didn't necessarily mean the other council members would. After several minutes and still no viable decision was made, the busty blonde finally rose to her feet and slammed her fist 'gently' on the council table. It cracked down the middle, catching eveyone's attention, and she flushed slightly as she cleared her throat. She really hadn't meant to do that.

"As things stand, I think it's best if we take a vote. There seems to be no unanimous decision that will be made," at that statement, she sent a glare at Homura, Koharu, and Danzou, all of whom had been protesting a trial loudly and visciously. Well, she had some major dirt on all three of them now. Especially after reading the Third's journal that she wasn't supposed to have read.

"All that are opposed to Itachi Uchiha's pardon, raise your hand now." Hands went up, and a count was made. "Thank you, now you may lower them." This was going to be close.

"All that are for this motion, raise your hand now." Her hand was included in this series of votes, many of the opposers surprised by her vote. "You may lower them."

Biting her lip, she sighed and finally turned away. "It seems that we've come to our decision. ANBU! Send in Itachi Uchiha to hear the verdict!"

"Yes ma'am!" Several guards blurted out, two of them leaving. A few moments later, they returned with the bound teen, his chakra still unusable and his face drawn tightly in a blank mask. Nodding at the guards, they sat him in the only chair that remained unfilled, and with a snap of several hand signs, the chains hanging from the chair sprang to life and wrapped themselves around him tightly.

_'They aren't taking any chances, are they?'_ Itachi thought, resisting the urge to wince when a few links dug into his side.

"We're ready to present the council's decision."

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

A/N: Annnnnd ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER! I'm doing more of these recently, but this one was necessary. Otherwise this chapter and the next one would bleed together and it would be a really long ass chapter. Anyways, we've come to the end of this story. I hope you guys are ready to finish this as much as I am. Next chapter will be up very shortly.

I'm really excited, but also sad. I've had so much fun working on this story!

Now, for those of you that are wondering, all of my other stories/series are on hold until I finish this one. I'm so close, and I want to concentrate completely on these last few chapters so that I can deliver to the best of my ability.

Anyways, reviews are appreciated. Always appreciated.


	39. Something Blue

Summary

In which things turn out okay...

A/N: And now I give you the end! I know you guys have been waiting patiently to find out what happens, especially after that nasty little cliffhanger I left you all with. So, here it is! I hope you have enjoyed my work of art here. I certainly had a lot of fun doing this. It's funny. I wrote the first chapter of this story thinking that I would just leave it at that. Then I got the idea for the second chapter, and wrote that out too. I decided that I would only do maybe three or four chapters... and here I am at Chapter 39. I'm not sure when this became something so epic, but I do have to say that if it weren't for my amazing reviewers, I wouldn't have done it.

So thank you. All of you. You have truly been a blessing in getting me to get back on the horse and get to writing something that I've really enjoyed. By the way, for everyone's reward, there's a special little surprise in the A/N at the end so make sure you read that.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

Tsunade stared him down quietly, debating on how to best word her answer.

"The council has decided, with the information you've provided from the Akatsuki, as well as Madara Uchiha's condition, that you and the young lady... will stay."

Itachi breathed a sigh a relief. Kagome was safe. And that was what mattered to him the most.

"You will be quarentined in the Uchiha District, Itachi Uchiha, for three years. ANBU will be placed at the guard. If you prove yourself worthy and tolerable, I will personally re-evaluate your mentality, and then we may re-instate you as a Konoha ninja," the Hokage announced, cutting off the mutterings of the other clan heads, "You'll start at the bottom though, and work your way up, should we so deem you fit."

The Uchiha nodded, then took a breath to speak, "To be honest, I don't really care if I'm re-instated or not." He looked each of the heads in the eyes before coming to rest again on Tsunade, "I hate fighting. I know there will always be wars, and pain. But I want to find a peaceful solution to the conflicts. The sacrifice of good people shouldn't be necessary in order to maintain power. I learned that the hard way by eliminating my clan members. They were greedy, and they wanted full control."

Tsunade smirked, and turned to face the window, "For being so young, Uchiha, you've got a good head on your shoulders. I hope it stays that way."

"Thank you, Lady Hokage." She whirled back around, facing her council with a determined glint in her eyes.

"This council of heads is dismissed!"

"Yes, Lady Hokage!" As one, every head rose from their seats and bowed politely to their leader. Well, except for Itachi. He was still chained to his chair. Then, one by one, they trickled out to leave.

When the last head, Inoichi Yamanaka, had left, the woman strode forward and easily dislodged his bindings. Though his hands were still tied behind his back, several ANBU shot forward to stay close to their leader. Inwardly, the Uchiha genius snorted. It wasn't like he **wanted** to kill Tsunade. In a way, she'd granted his freedom. And gave Kagome a safe haven. To him, that was more than enough to keep the blonde woman off of his To Kill List. Not that he really had one, at the moment, but the idea was nice, if it was ever needed.

"I think you'll find you have an entourage waiting for you, Uchiha," the blonde woman smirked, nodding and gesturing to the doors. Glancing back, he noticed Kagome fidgeting slightly just outside the door. What surprised him, was Sasuke standing next to her in just as much of a state. And then the real kicker was Naruto Uzumaki standing with them, grinning sheepishly at him as Kagome's arm encircled his shoulders. He'd done nothing but try to capture the boy! Why was he just smiling like that?

_'Looks like Kagome gave Sasuke a real talking to,'_ the older male thought, stiffening when the younger approached him, _'And that she's taken up her mantle to protect Naruto.'_

"Sasuke."

"Itachi." The younger Uchiha looked away first, not used to staring down the older when he wasn't filled with hatred, "... Why... didn't you tell me sooner?"

Itachi blinked, then leveled a look at Kagome. She **really** gave the younger boy a talking to. Glancing back at his younger brother, who waited in agitation, he finally sighed and shook his head, "I didn't want to burden you with that kind of pain, Sasuke. I wanted you to grow up loving the village that I'd sworn to protect at all costs."

"But they-!"

"You must understand, Sasuke, that if father had been allowed to go through with his plans, not only would it have destroyed this village and hundreds of innocent lives, but, had he failed, none of the Uchiha clan would have been spared. Not you. Not I. Not even an infant. It would have resulted in war," the older brother interrupted the younger, watching carefully as Sasuke struggled with years of confusion and anger. He seemed to understand the reasoning behind Itachi's actions, but the attachment to family was still hindering any kind of progress in a possible true relationship between the siblings. A spark in the younger Uchiha's eyes caught his attention.

Maybe, things weren't as hopeless as he'd thought.

_'I didn't really expect him to just say "Okay! Let's be a family again!" right off the bat; but I hope he can put aside those emotions that were engraved into him by our arrogant father,'_ the Sharingan wielder thought, sighing inwardly and directing his gaze to the unusually quiet priestess fidgeting nearby. Striding up to her, he stopped when he was about a foot from her, ANBU guards following him the whole way.

"So... What did they say?" she asked, worry shining in her blue eyes. Naruto eyed him warily and tensed in anticipation, but overall, he decided to let them work their own thing out. From the moment he'd met the woman that called herself Kagome, a fierce sense of protectiveness had swirled up in him. She was special, that much he could definitely tell, and it didn't hurt that when she found out who he was, she'd taken one look at him and insisted that she take care of him like a big sister.

It also helped his mood tremendously that the demon fox inside him was quite horrified by the entire idea. Anything that made the Kyuubi no Kitsune react like that was great in his books, as he wasn't really on speaking terms with the hateful spirit.

"I'm... being pardoned, for the most part. But, I'll be on strict probation. They're going to keep me in the Uchiha district. I'm not to leave there... for three years," he replied, glancing away at the shocked expression on Kagome's face, "I won't be able to see you until then. It's... going to drive me crazy."

"Three... years?" the priestess gulped, watching the Sharingan user for any sign that he was joking. Then she remembered, Itachi rarely joked. "That's... a long time, Itachi."

"I know. But you'll do something for me?" At her fervent nod, he continued, "Take care of my brother. Keep an eye on him. He's reckless sometimes."

"I... I can do that," the dark-haired girl breathed, words sticking in her throat when he leaned down so he was nose-to-nose with her.

"Also... I know I may be asking a lot but... wait for me?" She stood there, gazing helplessly up at him with wide blue eyes, and he finally sighed quietly after a few moments, straightening up when one of the ANBU grabbed his arm and started dragging him away. Still, she couldn't find the words she wanted to say.

"I'll be back... in three years." With those last words, he turned the corner with his escort and disappeared from her line of sight. Sasuke stood next to her, watching the priestess's face flush dark red in shock and sudden awe.

"Soo... does this mean you'll be my new nee-san?" the younger Uchiha asked sneakily, smirking when she finally snapped out of it and went after his brother. Really, she'd be a good match for his eccentric brother. She'd keep the older Uchiha in line. In all honesty, he liked the idea of being a family again. He just needed to really think things over first. Shrugging, he turned to Naruto and asked, "Hungry?"

Naruto grinned hugely and slapped the quiet boy on the back, "Am I ever! Let's find Sakura and go chow! I'm getting ramen!"

_'I was thinking of something a little more substantial, actually,'_ Sasuke thought, resigning himself to being dragged away by his blonde team mate.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

"WAIT!"

Their entourage stopped, the ANBU goggling in shock when the small girl barreled around the corner and smacked right into their prisoner. Kagome gulped in as much air as she could before leveling the Sharingan user with a freezing glare.

"How **dare** you say something like that and not **wait** to let me answer you, Itachi Uchiha!" the priestess shouted, uncaring that the entire Hokage tower could probably hear her, "You selfish, arrogant, conceited... you... you..."

His tongue finally unglued itself from the roof of his mouth and he had to smile at how angry she looked. She was just too cute! Leaning down, he proceeded to shut her rambling up in the easiest way possible.

He kissed her. She seemed stunned, and it gave him a moment to memorize how she tasted before she'd snap out of it and decide to pummel him to death. When he pulled away, he turned his mouth to whisper in her ear.

"I know. I'm a despicable, horrible, arrogant man. And I realize that I truly have nothing to offer you. But... I'd still love you if you gave me the chance. I said before that you were everything to me, and I meant it." Leaning back, he watched her cheeks glow red in awe and embarrassment and had to admit, he really did like the color on her. He'd finally said what he'd really wanted. Now, he would just wait for her answer. She'd come around. Eventually.

Well, he hoped she would.

"... Jerk. It's like you're not even giving me a choice," Kagome huffed, blushing deeper and avoiding his dark amused gaze.

"I am giving you a choice. You merely need to make the correct one." Stepping just a little closer, and cursing the fact that his hands were tied behind his back, he rested his cheek on the top of her dark hair and repeated what he'd said earlier, "Wait for me." This time, it wasn't a question.

Kagome sniffled and backed away from him. Glancing up, she finally nodded and rose up to kiss him shyly. He happily met her half-way.

"You know," one ANBU started, glancing at his fellows and then back to the couple, "He goes ape-shit crazy, **kills his clan**, runs the hell away, plays **missing** nin for five or six years, **comes back**, gets **pardoned and sentenced** to solitary confinement for three years, and he **still** gets the girl?"

Another ANBU sighed and shook his head, "Some guys just have all the luck, man."

"... That's just not fuckin' fair!"

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

_3 Years Later_

Tsunade reviewed her paperwork, then set the thick file down.

"So, aside from that first incident with the Sound Four, you've been keeping fairly clean, Uchiha."

Itachi nodded, inwardly scowling at the thought of the four ninja that had tried to kidnap his little brother in order to deliver him to Orochimaru. No amount of seals had been able to hold him at that point. He'd been dead set on getting the younger Uchiha back, and **no one** was willing to stop him in the end; well, no one that wanted to face a brutal death. It had been interesting too, to work alongside Naruto and to see the younger ninja's capabilities for himself. The Jinchuuriki had **a lot** of potential.

"Of course, several early reports were made up of," she flipped the page and smirked, "'Destructive Tendencies' and 'Tearing things up for the hell of it'. However, we did later find out that you were doing some remodeling. So, I think we can mark that off as an invalid claim." The Hokage happily drew a big fat black line through those statements. She then looked around and nodded to herself. "Nice job, by the way."

"Thank you. Several things... bothered me, so I had them removed," the Sharingan user replied, taking particular pride in tearing down and rebuilding the Police Force Center. Now, instead of the Uchiha symbol marking the building, he'd proudly engraved the Leaf insignia into the new stone. He was hoping to reopen it; and this time, exclusivity wouldn't be unnecessary. He would consider all peoples that were interested in the possibility of a Police Force.

"Now, we move on to the part where Sasuke snuck in several times to see how you were doing," the Hokage sighed, skimming the extensive report on that particular issue, "I have no clue how a genin was able to get past ANBU security at first, but, apparently he helped you with the rebuild?"

"Correct. Sasuke... he wished to make amends after a few months of thinking. It seems he couldn't wait three years to do it," Itachi shrugged, inwardly happy about the situation. The younger Uchiha had been coming to see him and help in general around the district to try and clean up. After all, it was an enormous job for one person to do. Thankfully, the work had kept them both fairly busy, and the time seemed to have gone by faster than those first few months of confinement. He failed to mention the training that the two had worked on together; not only to improve their selves, but their trust in each other.

"Eventually, he requested the rights to visit from me personally," the blonde woman stated, marking something on her file, "After a rigorous screening, I granted the request. Most of the council was very wary about that." She chuckled, remembering the shocked looks on her two advisor's faces when they'd heard the news. It had sent the old coots into an immediate panic about "The Uchiha Clan reuniting!". The fifth Hokage had merely rolled her eyes and continued to drink her sake, at that point.

"So... how are things between you two then?"

He took a moment to really think about that question before answering. When Sasuke had first approached him several months into his confinement, Itachi had been surprised, but wary at the younger's motivations. It had been all for nothing, however, as he'd wanted to know everything about what the clan had been planning up to the point of the massacre. Itachi had easily told him all that he knew, and Sasuke had walked away with more questions than answers that day.

A few weeks later, and he was back, this time with a set of plans and opinions about the reasoning and why his clan would have failed either way, in the end. Itachi had been thrilled that the younger boy had come to understand his logic. They'd made a promise to each other that night. To never abandon their village and its' people, and to keep an eye out for each other. They swore to rebuild their clan in an honorable way and to show the rest of the ninja world that they were worth keeping alliances with. Even if it was just the two of them for now, any children would be raised differently than the biased arrogant way they'd been brought up.

In the remaining two years since then, the brothers had been watched by several ANBU as they worked together to rebuild their family's old home. They ate together, sweated together, even sparred together; mostly without the use of ninjutsu, since nearly all of Itachi's chakra was temporarily sealed away. It hadn't stopped the older from finding a loophole around his seals and teaching the younger several new techniques and interesting battle strategies right under his guard's noses. They'd never been the wiser, either. Otherwise, he would have been reported.

"I believe... that we have resolved most of our differences. There will always be that drive in Sasuke to become better than me, but I don't mind it as much because the hatred is gone," the Uchiha finally replied, smiling inwardly at the memory of Sasuke showing him his old shuriken test and adding a few twists of his own. The boy had learned to adapt and use what he needed to accomplish his goals.

"And yourself? Do you still believe that you did the right thing all those years ago?"

"I do," he responded immediately, without any hesitation in his voice, "I did my duty as a shinobi of this village by protecting its' inhabitants from an internal threat to the peace." Tsunade stared him down hard for a moment, before she broke out an enormous smile.

"Well, congratulations, Itachi Uchiha. By all rights and purposes, you've completed everything you needed to finish up your sentence. You are a free man, Uchiha." That being said, the Hokage whipped out a bottle of sake she had hiding in her jacket pocket and pulled out two small cups. Setting them down, she poured a cup for them and slid his over to him. Itachi blinked in slight shock, then smirked smally.

"You never go anywhere without it, do you?"

Never know when you're going to need it!" she replied happily, picking up her cup and saluting him, "In commemoration of this meeting, and by the powers invested in me as the current Hokage, I reinstate you, Itachi Uchiha, as a citizen of Konoha. Our ANBU witnesses outside will attest to this, blah blah blah… and I just need your signature... here." She shoved some paperwork at him, downing her cup and reaching for the bottle to generously pour herself another cup.

Itachi took the pen, glanced over the files and documents filled with the stamp of approval from the woman in front of him, and signed his name quickly. He then picked up the sake cup, glanced at Tsunade, who was on her third cup, and grimaced at the smell of the alcohol.

"Come on, boy! It's not everyday I pardon someone for past transgressions and sign them back into the village! Drink up!" the older blonde woman snapped, a shade of red covering her cheeks.

_'When put that way, I can't really refuse,'_ he thought, closing his eyes and downing the sake. He coughed, dropping the cup onto the table and clutching his chest. That tiny little cup of alcohol **burned**! Tsunade watched him splutter and had to laugh. Who knew that Itachi Uchiha was a novice when it came to drinking?

"What do you think? It's some of my best sake!"

"It... burns..." he managed to choke out, stumbling over to the kitchen sink and sticking his head under the faucet to get some water.

"Lightweight," the woman muttered, reaching for the bottle to take her sixth cup. When he slumped back into his seat, she leveled him with a look.

"So... what are your plans?" she asked, all joking aside.

"I've considered returning to active duty, however, with the precarious state my lungs and heart are in, it would not be a wise decision," he answered, thinking back on all the treatments that Tsunade had put him through just to get him to the point he was at now, "I'd hate to undo all the work you spent on helping me."

"I appreciate your concern, but it would also be a waste to see someone with your talents fall to the wayside," the blonde countered, propping her elbows on the table and watching him carefully, "Not to mention your lungs weren't nearly as bad off as you thought. It looked like someone had been working on them already." Itachi was pretty sure he knew who that someone was.

"What about a Tokubetsu?"

The Uchiha's eyes narrowed. He hadn't thought of that. And instantly, he knew what he would specialize in, should he choose to go that route. Genjutsu.

"I... will consider that possibility. I have also thought about... becoming an instructor," he replied, carefully analyzing the Hokage's reaction. She seemed somewhat surprised at first, then, when given the time to think about it, she had to agree. Itachi would make an excellent teacher.

"One question? How are you around kids?" He immediately discarded the idea. He was awful with kids. At least, until he got past the annoyance of childish pranks. And he had a feeling that there would be a lot of them.

"Initially, annoyed, but otherwise, not so bad." At her confused look, he merely shook his head. "You don't want to know."

"I see. Then you may want to reconsider the instructor idea," Tsunade chuckled, swigging another taste of her sake. Itachi nodded, then sent her a look.

"I had... another idea. Heading the Police Force."

"It would be a good one too, if people weren't still afraid of you," she countered, smirking at the annoyed huff he let out, "What about an ambassador?" **That **was something he would enjoy.

"An interesting thought, but perhaps I should wait. I had another path I'd been considering," the newly re-instated citizen sighed, running a hand through his long shaggy bangs. He needed to get them cut again, but hadn't had the heart to do it yet.

"Really? What was that?" She seemed genuinely curious, and he decided to indulge her.

"I want to start a family."

Tsunade smiled.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

Kagome Higurashi sighed quietly and opened her umbrella. Stepping out of her apartment's hallway, she lifted the rain shield and made her way down the streets of Konoha. She had some allergy medicine to grab at the local drugstore before she went back to work tomorrow. She did not want to risk getting anyone sick at the hospital; after all, flu season was just encroaching on the inhabitants of the lively village.

The door beeped, admitting her in, and she shook the droplets from her umbrella before placing it in a stand near one of the registers. The cashier smiled and waved at her. The priestess waved back absently, heading straight for the allergy aisle. After picking up what she needed, she decided to look around a little. The dark-haired girl meandered her way down one aisle, then another, before she slowed to a stop at a particular display. Small bottles of brightly colored nail polish stared back at her. It sent an enormous wave of nostalgia through her as she picked up a dark purple bottle of polish.

_'I wonder... how he's doing?'_ she thought, quickly setting down the small vial and turning away abruptly. She swiped harshly at her eyes, wiping away what looked suspiciously like tears before she got a hold of herself.

"Stop it! You said no crying!" the former time traveler hissed to herself, shaking her head roughly and heading to the checkout line. After quickly paying and leaving, she made her way back to her apartment, reminding herself to talk to the leasing agent about renewing her lease in the next week or so. Once she was up her flight of stairs, though, she noticed someone waiting at her door.

"... Sasuke? Is that you?" The figure shrugged and stepped away from the wall and into the light. The younger Uchiha's face was thrown into sharp relief and Kagome smiled hugely. "Hello! Are you back from your mission? How did it go? Did you meet any interesting people?" Her eyes widened suddenly. "Are you hurt? You're not hurt, are you?"

"I'm fine. Not hurt, but a little tired," the younger male sighed, running a hand absently through his spiky hair. Kagome just had the kind of personality that made him want to smile. She always cared about other people; and that had been the most awkward thing to get used to around her. He'd never had someone that genuinely wanted to know how his day-to-day activities went. He suspected it was a maternal instinct embedded into the priestess. He also suspected that it had been the reason for a long-standing crush on her that had lasted until he was almost fifteen.

And then he realized that Itachi would definitely turn him inside out as painfully as possible if he so much as looked at his future sister-in-law in any way other than platonic. That crush had died instantly and painfully that night, especially when he'd gone over to the district to spar with the older Uchiha in the evening. Itachi had kicked his ass. It was like the bastard knew!

"Oh good! I'm glad you're back! It was starting to get boring without your whining and Naru's energy," she replied, grinning smugly and elbowing him playfully as she turned down the hall to head to her apartment.

"Gee, I didn't know you missed me **that** much," the Uchiha drawled sarcastically, smirking when she sent him a cheeky smile and fumbled around for her keys. "And I don't know **how** you manage to put up with the idiot." He had her bag of medicine in the next heartbeat, and she thanked him happily while she opened the door.

"That's because I love Naru. He's great just the way he is. Maybe you should try being happier, Sasuke. So, are you staying for dinner? I promise I won't make ramen!" she sing-songed, laughing at the absolutely black look he sent her. Not deeming that with a response, he shuffled down the hall in the apartment to her bathroom and put away her allergy medicine. He'd never known someone as weird as Kagome could get so unbelievably grouchy when she was sneezing from too much pollen.

"Actually, I came by to show you something," Sasuke answered, sidling back into the kitchen area of her small one-bedroom home. He glanced around it and surmised that if everything worked out tonight, the dark haired girl wouldn't have to worry about renewing her lease, which he knew was coming up soon. Taking her hand, he started to pull her towards the ajar door.

"Wait, now?"

"Yes. Now."

"But it's getting dark! And I was going to make dinner! You could even invite Naruto and Sakura over!" Kagome protested, scowling when pulling on her hand did nothing to make the younger boy in front of her relinquish his hold.

"Just trust me, Kagome!" She just gave him a deadpan stare.

"Last time I trusted you, you almost pushed me off of this complex's roof." That had been one of the most terrifying moments he'd ever witnessed. It even ranked up there with the torture images that Itachi had paraded in his seven year old brain the night of the massacre. If it hadn't been for Naruto's unusually quick reflexes, Kagome probably would have fallen to her death that day. Because, had anything happened to the priestess he was currently kidnapping, his older brother would have thrown everything away and killed him in cold blood. Then again, Naruto really **had** tried to before the priestess had stopped him. The blonde had adopted Kagome as something of a 'big sister' to him shortly after meeting her.

Which meant if everything went according to plan, he was probably going to be looking at another brother too.

"And that was an oversight, on my part. I forget you're not a ninja," Sasuke countered, tugging her out the door and locking it with a flick of his wrist. It paid to be good at ninja skills. Producing a white blindfold, he handed it to the perplexed looking priestess.

"What am I doing with this, exactly?"

"Put it on. I don't want you to see where we're going." It was a testament to her faith in him when she grumbled under her breath a moment later and tied the white fabric over her brilliant blue eyes.

"If you throw me in a lake or something, I'm going to cut your hair till you're bald in your sleep," she threatened, tightening the blind and finally standing still. Sasuke gulped, knowing she'd make good on her threat too if he pulled any kind of prank on her.

"I'm not Naruto, you know." He scooped her up and took off, jumping from roof to roof and executing a few flips and turns in the air that had the priestess gasping in delight. For some reason, she loved ninja travel. He had no idea why, but he didn't mind amusing her if it meant keeping her too occupied to ask questions.

"So... Where are we going?"

'_So much for not asking questions.' _

"You'll see. It's a surprise," the young Uchiha replied, balancing precariously on a light pole before smirking evilly. He dropped, making Kagome yelp and wrap her arms around him tighter, before landing safely on a low roof top. Taking off again, he ignored the abuse she gave him for freaking her out.

Shortly after, he arrived at his destination, setting her down gently and grabbing her arm when she started to topple sideways. "Get a grip on yourself, would you?"

"I can't **see** Sasuke! How am I supposed to maintain my balance when I'm scared you're going to make me run into a wall or something!" Kagome growled, huffing when she met air as she swung at the general direction of his smug voice.

"I think I've endured enough abuse from you. Maybe I should just leave you here?" Sasuke taunted, sneaking around behind her until she whimpered and started towards his voice. She was going the wrong way.

"Kagome, we're going this way." He took her arm, gently this time, and guided her to their destination.

"There's a step here."

"Oh! Are we in a house?"

"... Yeah." She stopped suddenly and turned wildly to face him.

"We're not trespassing, are we?" Sasuke sighed and glared at nothing in particular.

"No, we're not trespassing."

"... I don't know if I believe you, Sasuke." He said nothing and merely helped her get her shoes off. Absently, she told him to "not tickle my feet, damn it!", then led her down the familiar hall way. Passing by, he leveled a glare in the darkness and was met with glinting dark eyes filled with amusement.

"There's another step here."

"... In the house? Are you sure we're not trespassing?"

"Yes! Now, turn this corner and take a seat!"

In the end, he had to help her sit, simply because she'd nearly tripped on the coffee table.

"What smells good?"

"..." He chose not to reply and stepped back, letting someone else take over her welfare. Despite the fact that he wanted to keep her closer just a little longer, the vicious glaring eyes of the other person in the room were watching him **very** closely. That little crush of his still whispered across his brain every once in a while.

"Sasuke?"

"I'm here." Kagome let out a breath in relief, thinking the younger boy was behind her as he untied the blindfold. It dropped to her lap and she opened her eyes... only to meet Sasuke's smug face sitting across from her. Tilting her head in confusion, she opened her mouth-

-and squeaked when arms curled around her from behind, pulling her into a warm body. Dark hair that wasn't her own slid over her shoulder as the person behind her simply breathed her in. Shocked, it took her a dazed moment to recognize the aura flaring to life behind her.

"I-I-Itachi?" There was a hum of agreement, and she twisted around to meet the other Uchiha's dark gaze. Once, his eyes had been cold, and she'd compared their lack of emotion to Sesshomaru. Now, they were warm and infinitely happy.

"Happy Birthday, Kagome," he whispered, grinning when she gave him a wide-eyed stare. She'd completely forgotten that today was her birthday. That today was one of the most important days of her life. That today, she'd met Inuyasha so long ago. And that today, she was reunited with the person she loved the most.

_'This... is how he's supposed to be.'_ Burying her face in his shirt, she hugged him fiercely and re-memorized the way he smelled. His aura was just as she remembered; like a warm, low-burning fire that was calm and comforting, yet when provoked, it could rage into a burning inferno that no one wanted to mess with. Kagome smiled.

Now, she could say she was truly home.

"I'm home."

"Yes. Welcome home." When he couldn't resist it anymore, he tilted her chin up and kissed her rather soundly. And despite his brother's protests and the gagging noises he made in the background, Itachi's life couldn't be any better.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

_1 Year Later_

_Epilogue_

Kagome Higurashi bit her lip in nervousness, tugging on the hem of her kimono. Sakura snarled at her and she stood perfectly still again.

"Kagome! You ruined your lipstick! Now it's on your teeth!" the pink haired girl cried, handing the priestess a napkin and letting her wipe off the light pink color. Then, when she'd finished, the chunin attacked her again with a tube of lipstick that she'd come to hate very much.

"I don't see why I need it! It's not like I'll wear it very long!" Kagome whined, dodging Sakura's attempts to put the sticky stuff back on her mouth. She'd never been a fan of lipstick. She preferred chapstick, but apparently, she wasn't allowed to wear it on this day.

Kagome gulped and started to chew on her lip again. Sakura shrieked and she stopped, finally resigning herself to letting the chunin put the damn stuff on her. Standing still, she glared when the younger girl announced she was done and backed away with a satisfied smile.

"There! That's much better! Hinata! Where's that sealer so she doesn't smudge it again!" Sakura snapped, toning down visibly when the dark haired Hyuuga girl presented the tube of sealer with a shaking hand.

"H-H-Here, Sakura!" The pink haired girl took it with a smile of thanks, smoothing down the Hyuuga heiress's bangs absently.

"Thanks, Hinata. Sorry I snapped at you." Hinata gave her a tremulous smile and turned a sympathetic gaze onto Kagome. Kagome rolled her eyes and snatched the sealer from the much stronger girl.

"I can do it myself," the former time traveler grouched, moving towards the mirror. A blonde blur suddenly stopped her and Ino Yamanaka tutted disapprovingly.

"Oh no you don't, young lady! You can't see your reflection until we're done!" Ino taunted, taking the tube from the priestess and uncapping it, "Now hold still. You have to look perfect! After all, it's not every day you get married!" The girl smiled dreamily suddenly and Kagome suppressed the huge urge to bite her lip again.

Her wedding day. She was getting married.

_'I can't believe I'm actually getting __**married**__!'_ she thought, suddenly filled with the overwhelming urge to start sobbing. Or running. She'd always imagined that on her wedding day, she'd be surrounded by her family and friends, walking down the aisle of her family's shrine and letting her grandfather conduct the ceremony.

Then, when she'd met Inuyasha, her dream had changed to an outdoor wedding on a beautiful spring day in Kaede's village. The entire village would have shown up, sweet little Rin was her flower girl, and Sango was dressed in a beautiful light pink kimono as her Maid of Honor. Inuyasha stood proudly at her side, dressed in his red robes, of course, and she was standing blissfully there, decked out in traditional priestess robes as Kaede conducted the ceremony with a smiling face. That had been before she'd realized that Inuyasha was more like a brother to her; even if he'd asked her to stay. As the best friend, she'd been happy to be there when he needed her the most.

Now, she was dressed in a white kimono with silver feathers shimmering along the opulent sleeves and at the hem of the dress, a dark silver obi tied securely around her waist and bringing out her eyes. The only splashes of color were the Shikon Jewel dangling prettily from her neck, the pink crystal sparkling innocently against her skin, and the ruby and diamond encrusted Uchiwa fan tucked into the front of her obi. Kagome's fingers gently traced the delicate ornamental fan, remembering when it was given to her and the tradition explained behind it. She'd blushed, and after a moment of careful consideration, accepted the engagement present.

_'Something old...'_ She touched the Shikon, which sparked just slightly with her reverent thoughts.

_'Something new...'_ She smoothed her hands down the pretty kimono, admiring the glimmering silver feathers in the artwork.

_'Something borrowed...'_ She felt Sakura clip a hairpiece into her curled hair. The chunin girl had kept the bauble with her ever since her mother had given it to her when she'd graduated the academy, and she'd happily let her older friend use it. It was a perfect effect to go with her kimono. A crystallized white lily was the center piece for the clip, surrounded by a multitude of dewdrop crystal baby's breath. The clip was beautiful, and Kagome had cried when Sakura had shyly offered it to her.

"All right! You're all ready to go, Kagome!" Ino sighed, blushing at the pretty picture the priestess made. Her long wavy hair had been tamed and worked to fall to her waist, half of it up in an intricate weave of braids and twists with intermingling Baby's Breath twined in the dark glossy strands. The other half had been curled with ringlets, the soft spirals falling in all directions. The darkness of her hair contrasted with the white of her kimono, and Ino hoped that one day, she'd be just as pretty of a bride as Kagome was. Smoothing her pale blue dress down, she fingered her ringless left hand and wondered when it would be her turn. Then she shook her head, long curled blonde hair swishing around her in agitation. This wasn't her day. It was Kagome's. "You look beautiful."

Kagome smiled, feeling her face heat up, but not sure if the blush was able to be seen with the makeup she wore. Sakura contested that theory. "Awww! Look! She's a blushing bride!" The younger girls giggled, watching Kagome's face go from a flattering pink to a bright red.

Sakura finally stopped, flipping the imaginary wrinkles from her spring green dress. Taking Kagome's arm, she gently guided her over to the full length mirror. "Ino's right. You **do** look beautiful." Hinata nodded, fidgeting slightly in her lavender dress and picking at a seam in the hem. Kagome glanced into the mirror and stopped short, almost not recognizing herself.

In the time that she'd grown up since she was fifteen, she'd come to realize that she could pick out several things that she and Kikyo were almost the same with. But then, after her eighteenth birthday, the similarities had ended. Looking in the mirror now, though, the twenty-one year old could almost see the other priestess looking back at her. Who was this elegant beautiful woman? Surely not her? When she came to her bright blue eyes, though, she froze. In the back of the reflection, she saw the silhouette of Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo. And they were all smiling at her.

_"You did good, Kagome,"_ Inuyasha whispered, his rough voice flowing in her mind, _"Now, go be happy!"_

For a moment, she thought she would burst into tears. But then, she smiled hugely a moment later.

_'Something Blue...'_ Raising her hand, she traced her reflection's face, more accurately her blue eyes that were outlined in black kohl, then turned away, finally satisfied. Yes, she may have looked similar to Kikyo, but she was Kagome. And she was marrying the man that saw her **as** Kagome. That was all she needed. Because Kikyo didn't matter to Itachi Uchiha.

All that mattered was Kagome.

She looked at her three bridesmaids, girls that she'd gotten to know very well in the past four years, and smiled serenely. They all grinned back, happy that the priestess was fine with their work.

"I'm ready."

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

A/N: And Kagome and Itachi lived happily ever after!

THE END!

Oh my God you guys! I'm so happy with this finished product! Don't worry though, I have one more chapter. It's... an alternate ending! -squees in excitement- I couldn't decide which ending I wanted because both were different, so I'm just going to do both! I hope you guys don't mind!

Okay, so on my wedding day, I had 'Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, and Something Blue.' If you don't know where this came from, it's an old wedding tradition that most brides follow. At least, every bride I know has followed it. It's old, but so sweet too. And that was the reasoning for coming up with the title to this story. So, yes, I had planned romance the whole time; it was supposed to go as slowly as it did. Simply because I don't believe that Itachi and Kagome would have fallen in love right away. After all the things they went through, both were a little short on the trust issue. It was something that had to be built up and nurtured over time, until they realized that they **couldn't** live happily without the other.

I will probably do a couple of One-Shots. They will be listed in the **Additionals**. You know, Itachi's 3 year incarceration, his proposal to Kagome, Sasuke and Itachi's developing relationship, as well as a few other things. I think it would be fun!

Thank you to everyone who has been with me the whole way! Your amazing support and generosity never failed to pick me up and keep me going when I needed it the most! It has been an amazing ride, and I can't wait to start a new one! For now, though, I'll probably be slowing down on some things. And when I come back, I'll have something all new for you guys to enjoy!

Those last reviews are really appreciated. This is my first major multi-chaptered story I've ever completed. Everyone, I thank you again, and I will post the alternate ending very shortly.

Thank you! And GOOD NIGHT!


	40. Alternate: Coming Home

Summary

In which all does not go well, but things turn out all right anyway...

A/N: And here's that alternate ending I was telling you all about. You decide on which one you like better! This one is more angst than the other one, but I still think it fits in really well. Starts up at the end of chapter 38. As always, I appreciate your reviews.

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"I'm sorry."

He stared the Hokage down quietly as she apologized to him.

"Despite the important amount of information you've given us, and the details of Madara Uchiha's new condition, it's just not enough to pardon the heinous crimes you've committed, Itachi Uchiha."

Itachi gulped, then lowered his head in resignation, "... I... I understand, Lady Hokage. I wasn't really expecting to be forgiven so easily, or even pardoned for what I deemed was neccessary. I take full responsibility for my actions."

"We will set your execution date by tomorrow. You will have only a little time to get everything in order," Tsunade sighed, shaking her head and turning away from the youg Uchiha, "The fact that I'm even able to give you time is something that the council will disagree with immediately, but I'm willing to give you an honorable death, Uchiha."

"I understand. Thank you, Lady Hokage," the dark-haired male whispered, shutting his eyes tightly and suppressing the growing urge to suddenly bolt. Hadn't he been accepting of the possibility of Sasuke killing him? This was really no different. But then, he'd never been given the chance to hope. The idea that there were still good things for him out there. Things like-

"I have but two requests, Lady Hokage." Tsunade glanced back, surprised at the iron-clad no-nonsense sound of his voice.

"Lady Tsunade?" One of the heads asked, sounding annoyed. She silenced him with a fierce glare.

"I will hear them. Depending on what they are, I will try to grant them." Several heads hissed in anger, but with an angry swipe of her hand, they were silent again.

"The first, is to protect my little brother. Despite Orochimaru getting his claws into him, I believe there is a way to rid him of that curse seal. I want him safe, even after I'm gone."

"Done!" Tsunade nodded, "I want details on how to remove that seal later." Itachi nodded and took a breath to speak again.

"The second, I wish for you to allow Kagome to become a citizen of Konoha. She is an innocent, and I want her to be safe. She means... more than you can imagine to me." The longing in his voice caused several wide-eyed looks and raised brows, however, the silence still reigned. Tsunade considered this request carefully before nodding.

"I will do this. These are your only requests?" At the Sharingan weilder's nod, she sighed. "Very well. I will carry out your final requests."

"Thank you. I have nothing further to say then."

"Very well. These ANBU," four guards filled the room suddenly, "will escort you **unharmed** to your cell, Uchiha. You will be provided food and water, and tomorrow, you will be informed of your execution date."

"I... see."

"The rest of you are dismissed!" Tsunade declared firmly, waving her hand and watching wearily as the heads of the clans exited one by one.

The four ANBU moved as one, two taking each side of him, one in the front, and one behind him. Despite the fact that they'd completely drained his chakra, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up at the malicious feelings coming off of the four elite ninjas. It had to have been the aura reading ability Kagome had explained to him. Apparently, it didn't rely on chakra at all like he'd previously thought.

Just as they were leaving, though, he stopped, then turned to face the quiet Hokage.

"I want to see her." The ANBU behind him hissed and raised a hand to strike out. It was caught by the blonde woman. Despite the fact that she didn't always actively participate in battle, she still moved fast enough to stop things.

"... Why?"

"I want to tell her myself." Tsunade took a moment to consider this, then nodded.

"Very well. She's waiting in one of the conference rooms. I believe your brother is with her," she sighed, turning to open the door and walking out. Itachi and his guards followed behind the important woman, watching as she opened doors and checked inside. Finally, though, they came to one door that was shut. Even so, they could hear the shouting going on behind the door as clear as day.

_"Don't you understand! He did __**all of that**__ to protect __**you**__!"_ Kagome's voice screamed, sounding hoarse from being used so much. Itachi fidgeted, worried that his younger brother would try and hurt the girl.

_"It doesn't matter! He still took away __**everyone**__ I cared about! Do you know what that's like?"_ Sasuke shouted, and the people outside flinched when something glass shattered against one of the walls.

_"OF COURSE I DO, YOU BRAT! YOU'RE __**NOT**__ THE ONLY ONE TO __**LOSE PEOPLE YOU CARE ABOUT**__!"_ the priestess's voice cracked brokenly at the word 'care', _"AND NOW YOU WANT TO TELL ME THAT I SHOULD __**LET**__ SOMEONE ELSE I CARE ABOUT BE TAKEN AWAY FROM ME?"_

_"How could you care for __**him**__? He's a monster!"_ The sound of flesh hitting flesh snapped the group outside into action and Tsunade pulled open the door quickly. Kagome's hand was raised in a way that indicated that she'd just slapped the crap out of the surprised looking Uchiha in the room with her. He was watching her with wide dark eyes as she gulped in great lungfuls of air.

"Don't you **ever** talk about your brother like **that**!" she hissed so quietly, they had to shuffle in the door to hear what she was saying, "He did something so selfless, so caring as to spare you, and you talk about him like that? He **loves** you! Otherwise, he wouldn't have **let you live**!"

Sasuke opened his mouth, whether to argue or apologize, no one would ever know.

"Kagome. That's enough," Itachi sighed, shaking his head at her when she whirled around to face him with wide eyes. She'd been crying, and there wasn't a thing he could do to keep from doing the same in another minute or so. Sasuke flinched visibly at the sound of his voice, and backed away into a corner. Watching his little brother's actions, the older Uchiha knew there would be no reconciling their past.

The priestess approached him, not in the least detered by the menacing guards surrounding him. "What... What did they say?" Her voice was so small, so very fragile sounding that he felt something in him break at the thought of hurting her. But...

"You... I made a deal with the Hokage. She said she'll let you be instated as a citizen of Konoha. You'll have full rights, and the protection of the Leaf ninja, should anything happen." He couldn't meet her gaze, those piercing eyes trying so desperately to search his out.

"Itachi?"

"These people will keep you safe. You won't have to be afraid if the Akatsuki try to come after you."

"Itachi?"

"They're giving you a second chance. It'll be like starting over again and-!"

"Itachi!" she interrupted him, grabbing a fistful of his shirt and dragging his face down to her level. To where he **had** to meet her gaze. She watched him very carefully for a moment before her eyes widened in realization and her fingers went limp.

"No..."

"You can live freely... without the burden of worrying about me."

"Don't... don't leave me again," Kagome whimpered, gripping his shirt tightly and burying her face in his shoulder. He could feel the warmth of her tears already soaking into the material, "Please... There has to be another way. Something else we can do!"

"I... I'm sorry. I've done everything I can. The decision was not mine to make in the first place," the older Uchiha spoke, resignation clear in his voice. "Please... don't let me hurt you any more than I already have."

"Itachi." The former heir glanced up, noting that the Hokage was awkwardly shifting her feet, "It's time to go." He nodded and stepped away from the priestess. The grip on his shirt tightened and she gazed up at him, tears still dripping from her eyes.

"Let go, Kagome."

"I... I can't," she mumbled brokenly, helplessly. Itachi closed his eyes and dregged up what little power he could to urge her on. Opening them again, the faintest impression of the Sharingan whirled in his dark eyes.

"For the sake of your happiness, you have to let me go." Her fingers automatically loosened, the bunched fabric sliding from her grip as he stepped back again.

"Please..." she murmured again, her normally blue eyes a stormy grey color in her turmoil.

"I..." The ANBU guards began to pull him away, and he swallowed his nerves once and for all, "I love you. So... just be happy."

Shocked as she was, they carted him off before she had the chance to respond. A moment later, Kagome collapsed into herself in tears.

Sasuke couldn't help but wonder if maybe, he was wrong to say all the things he had about his brother. Here was this woman, crying for someone that was supposed to be evil, and yet...

_'And yet, he says he loves her,'_ the younger Uchiha thought, swallowing carefully and automatically taking a step towards the priestess. His feet led him instinctively to the girl curled on the floor in pain and he knelt next to her. _'Why would he tell her if it's only going to make her hurt more?'_

By the time he came back to himself, he had an armful of the dark-haired girl as she sobbed into his shirt brokenly.

"I don't understand," the teen murmured, rubbing her back in soothing circles the way his mother used to do whenever he woke up from a bad dream, "Why would he tell you that if he knows it will make you cry?"

Kagome clung to the confused boy, desperately trying to get herself back under control. A moment later, she had enough resolve to respond in between enormous gulps of air. "Because... he wants me to know... that he accepts me... completely. Not as... someone else... Not as... a replacement... but as... Kagome... He loves me..."

"I... I still don't understand," Sasuke stated, still unsure of what she meant. But then, everyone he loved was gone, so, even if it **was** his bastard of a brother, he could understand the pain of losing someone you cared deeply about.

_'Even if it __**is**__ Itachi.'_

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Over the next couple of days, no one could talk of anything else other than Itachi Uchiha's execution date, which had been set for a week later. Kagome bolted herself into a room the Hokage was allowing her to stay in, unwilling to associate with the people that condemned the one person she cared the most about in this world. The only person she even remote tried to make conversation with was, ironically, Sasuke.

The younger Uchiha was apparently fascinated by the fact that his cold emotionless brother could care so deeply about someone that had such volatile, and extreme, emotions like Kagome. She slowly opened up to the boy, answering his curious questions about the brother he had always known, but thought had hated him. Sasuke was quickly coming to the conclusion that Itachi had played him for a fool the night of the Uchiha Massacre.

"So then... Konoha is really to blame for my family's deaths," Sasuke mused out loud two nights before Itachi's execution, "And now they're about to take my brother away too." Kagome merely shrugged miserably and continued to absently fiddle with the necklace Itachi had given back to her. The gift that she'd given him. He'd wanted her to keep it.

_"To remember me by. Someday, the pain will fade away, and you'll be able to think fondly of our time together."_ The priestess snorted inelegantly, startling Sasuke out of his own thoughts, and rose to her feet. Picking up a dark colored shawl, she absently pulled it over her blue kimono and peeked out the window. The sun had long since set, dim street lights glowing in the night.

"What you think about Konoha is your own business, Sasuke. I don't really care one way or another at this point." She almost shook her head. When had she become so cold? Turning, she shoved on her sandals, pulled the Shikon no Tama from its' hiding spot to stow up her sleeve, and reached for the door handle to the outside world.

"Where are you going?"

"Out." The boy rose to his feet and started to follow her. It wasn't his business what she wanted to do; and frankly, he'd already made up his mind. Tonight, he'd set out with the Sound Five in the direction of Orochimaru's hideout. Once there, he'd become strong enough to avenge his family and take Konoha down with him.

It would finally put an end to the Uchiha line.

"Me too. I've got some things to do."

"Okay." Kagome pulled open the door and stepped out. Nodding to the sullen boy, she whispered "Be safe" and walked away. She knew he was going to do something drastic, so she wasn't going to stop him. It was his life, and he would live it how he chose to see fit.

It was a quiet walk to the area where the death row criminals were kept. No one in their right minds wanted to talk to her. Most people didn't even look in her direction. All they would see was the woman that Itachi Uchiha had brought with him.

_'Because to them, all they see in him is a monster. They will never take the time to konw him for who he really is.'_ Hiding her shaking hands in her sleeves, she gripped the faintly glowing Jewel in a habitual movement as it pulsed gently with her sorrow.

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Several minutes later, the former time traveler was standing in front of the prison doors.

Kagome swallowed delicately and faced down the ANBU guards.

"I was told, by your Hokage, that I could see him one more time before his- his-!" she couldn't finish the sentence. It felt like if she said it out loud, there would be nothing she could do. The two guards exchanged wary glances that Kagome wasn't able to see before finally nodding.

"Very well," one stated, sighing quietly and pulling the correct set of keys out, "You have one hour. After that, we'll be forced to drag you out. I _really_ don't want to have to do that, lady." The other gave an impreceptible signal and they opened the door. Leading the priestess down the twists of hallways, they came to stop at a nondescript looking door. Pulling another key, they unlocked and opened the door and gestured for her to go inside.

"Call when your done. Otherwise, we'll come get you when your time is up," the guard stated, bowing just the tiniest bit and turning to leave. Kagome nodded silently, pulled her shawl a little closer to her, and stepped into the darkened room. The door shut behind her.

"Hello?"

"Itachi?" The dark-haired girl's eyes adjusted to the light and eventually she was able to see inside the cell. Despite being locked behind a door, the Uchiha was also behind a set of bars as thick around as her wrists.

"Kagome? What are you doing here?" Itachi glanced up, heart in his throat at the sight of the priestess. She looked so... desolate. The dark circles under her dull blue eyes were clearly visible. She seemed to have lost some weight also. Gone was the vibrant girl he'd fallen hard for. It its' place was a young woman that had seen too much pain, had experienced losses too great for her to handle. The bright smile that she would always give him was replaced with bitter anguish. There was a hollowness in her eyes that he'd never seen before. He was looking into the eyes of someone that had finally lost their will to fight.

He thought she still looked lovely, broken as she was.

"I-!" her breath hitched and she held back the urge to sob, "I came to see you, of course."

The moment she knelt next to the bars, he was next to her in an instant, pulling her into a hug and whipsering apologies.

"I'm sorry. This is my fault. I've done this to you."

"I..." Kagome took a deep breath and met his eyes, a glimmer of a sparkle returning to them. Maybe she wasn't as broken as he thought? "I'd like to say that it would have been better if we'd never met." Itachi flinched visibly at the words, the backlash of sorrow hitting him like a tidal wave. "But then... I'm sure I'd be lying. You didn't do this to me. I... I knew that caring for someone as dangerous as you could lead to this. It didn't matter, though. I just... I can't help who I love."

The former heir sucked in a breath, stunned to actually hear her say it out loud. She loved him. She really loved him.

_'And I'm putting her through hell.'_

"I'm glad to have met you, Itachi, and I..." Reaching into the cell and cradling his face gently in her hands, Kagome whispered the words that she'd kept locked away in her for the longest time out loud as tears dripped down her cheeks.

"I wish I could save you." He shook his head and smirked in self-mockery.

"You've done enough, Kagome. I don't regret... meeting you. That has been the greatest thing to ever happen to me," he replied, blinking when the room slowly started getting brighter. "What-!"

A flash lit up the entire cell, a roar filling the air and making the room shake. The last thing he heard before he blacked out were the shouts of his ANBU guards and Kagome whispering,

"What have I done?"

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Kagome wanted to scream in anger at the Jewel for listening to her selfish words. She'd always been so careful to not say the words out loud. But with Itachi's impending execution and the lack of sleep over guilt, the dreaded "I wish" had spilt from her lips before she could stop herself.

And then, she'd disappeared. From the world. From time. Even from existence briefly. She'd been trapped in the Shikon no Tama for her selfish wish, and though she didn't regret it, she still agonized over never seeing anyone ever again. Over never seeing Itachi again. Midoriko's soul would be freed and laid to rest, and her own would become a part of the Sacred Jewel.

_"Kagome."_ Whipping around in her lighted space, she gulped when the powerful preistess approached her.

"Lady Midoriko. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to say it," she cried, bowing her head in shame and hiding the tears in her eyes.

_"I know, child. Love does... things to you. They make you say what you think is right,"_ Midoriko replied, lifting the younger priestess's chin to meet gazes, _"But tell me the truth, would you really take back your words if it meant leaving this place?"_

Kagome thought for a moment, then shook her head sadly. "I... I would still say them. I love him, and I want to save him. He deserves to be happy, for all the suffering he was forced to endure."

_"And you? Do you deserve to be happy, for all the suffering you've had to take in?"_

Kagome sighed and avoided the older woman's piercing eyes, "I... want to be happy. But... that's not my choice, is it? I... said the words."

Midoriko smiled gently, warmth shining in her eyes. Her guardian really was such a selfless girl. Even at the cost of her own happiness, she still insisted on helping others.

_"I will give you... your chance, Kagome. But don't waste it,"_ she finally replied, earning a shocked look from the younger girl. Blue eyes filled with tears and she nodded happily, too overcome with emotion to say anything.

A light built around them and everything whited out. Kagome closed her eyes tightly and felt herself falling backwards. And then, she hit what felt like water, but was actually the hard ground, and blacked out.

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He felt like he was floating in a sea of warmth and light. It was... a soothing feeling. One that he'd like to get around to feeling more often. Maybe if he was reborn, he'd have a better life next time.

_'Though, even if I won't remember her, a new life wouldn't be the same without Kagome,'_ he thought wistfully, opening his eyes and blinking rapidly at the sharp light.

Checking his surroundings, he realized that he actually **was** floating in a sea of light. A bluish-yellow light. Well, that explained the bouyancy feeling.

_"I see you're enjoying yourself, Itachi Uchiha."_ A woman's voice that he didn't recognize penetrated his senses and he whipped around, only to be turned several ways from the lack of gravity. He ended upside down once he was done spinning, and with the beginnings of a nasty headache.

The woman's voice laughed lightly at his predicament, and he repressed a sigh at being her entertainment. He did not enjoy that.

"Explain yourself, woman!" he hissed, glancing one way, then the next, before looking behind him and meeting the eyes of the woman. She was taller than your average female, with long dark hair and eyes that seemed to pierce into your soul. Well, that's about what it felt like she was doing to him right now.

_"Calm yourself, Itachi Uchiha,"_ she looked him over and sighed quietly. Honestly, she wasn't sure what her guardian saw in the young man, but she was willing to help her in the end.

"You know my name, and yet I don't have the privelege to know yours," the Uchiha muttered, averting his eyes finally. He couldn't look this woman in the face, for some reason. He wasn't sure why. She seemed... too pure. Almost like-

"You... you're like Kagome." She nodded and smiled tightly.

_"Yes. I am Midoriko. The true soul of the Shikon no Tama. I'm sure Kagome told you about those things, right?"_ At the former heir's shocked nod, she continued, _"Through countless centuries, the Jewel was passed from human to human, priestess to priestess, until I finally reached young Kagome's hands. She has been, by far, the strongest-willed guardian I've ever been given."_

"She is... very head-strong, and kind," he had to agree with her on that. Kagome was... well, Kagome. There was no way to describe it. She simply was.

_"And yet, she wishes for me to save you, of all people,"_ Midoriko accused, leveling him with a glare, _"You, who has lived to kill, destroyed your own family, who fights, not for honor, not for glory, but for your own selfish gain."_ Itachi bowed his head in shame, knowing that there was no way this woman would wish for him to be saved. He knew that, and yet...

_"Yet, where you waivered, she held firm. Where you sought to give up, she continued to fight. Where you continually questioned your loyalty, she remained steadfast and determined to believe in you. And somehow, you've shown an undying desire to protect her. To keep her safe. To even love her, if given the chance."_

The Sharingan user's head rose with each new word that she said, hope beginning to blossom in his aching chest.

_"I must ask, though. Do you believe yourself worthy of having my Kagome?"_ Midoriko asked lightly, tilting her head when he swallowed thickly and met her gaze unflinchingly.

"I... I don't. I am a foolish, arrogant, despicable kind of man. However, if given the chance," he took a breath, then straightened up proudly. Now he looked every inch the regal clan leader he was supposed to be. "I would not waiver. I would not give up. I would never question her loyalty. I would protect her. I would keep her safe; even from myself, if need be. I would hold firm. I would fight for her. I would die for her. I would believe in her. And... I would love her to the best of my ability."

Midoriko smiled gently, shaking her head at young love. Though, this time, she hoped she was making the right decision.

_"... Against my better judgement, I'm going to help you. If you break your word, though, it's the pits of hell for you. To be the guardian of my guardian. Do you really wish to take on such a task, Itachi Uchiha?"_

"If it meant being with Kagome again, I would do anything for her."

The older priestess lifted her hand and placed it on Itachi's head. Light gathered into her fingertips and the world began to glow brilliantly.

_"You better not mess this up, boy. Not many people ever get a second chance."_

Light blinded him, and his senses blacked out.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

_1 Year Later_

Kagome Higurashi glanced up at the dark clouds, rain covering what was supposed to be a beautiful day. Sighing quietly, she flipped open her umbrella and set out to start walking, even though her friends weren't ready yet. She needed... a moment to herself.

It had been a year since she'd disappeared from his world. Her final words had activated a portion of the jewel. Her wish, however, had been left ungranted. After all, if she'd been able to save him, then wouldn't she still be there? Doing something? She sniffled, fighting the tears back valiantly.

_'I didn't even get to say goodbye...'_

Kicking at a puddle, she wove her way through the evening crowds, uncertain of her destination. Nothing seemed right; in this world she'd been born in. After trying to carve a place in the Feudal Era for herself, she'd associated that as home. Now, with the events of the alternate world she'd lived two and a half years in, nothing seemed right anymore without-

_'Itachi. I miss you.'_ It literally hurt her heart to think of the Uchiha. She could feel it crumbling with her precarious self-control. But then, she'd gone and played the love game again, and it had only brought her grief. When was it going to be her chance to live her happily ever after?

_'I wish-! But look what happened the last time you said those words, eh Kagome-girl?'_ the priestess thought bitterly, shaking her head viciously to dislodge the sadness in her. It wouldn't do her any good to stay this way. She'd promised Midoriko that she wouldn't waste her chance. Everyone was already worried about her. Her friends had become distant, feeling as though they didn't know her anymore. Her family had become clingy, almost to the point of suffocation. In her loss, she'd ground her nose to her books and brought up her dismal grades as best as she could. Nothing could account for a half a year of poor grades and two more years of missing school all together. At this point, all she had left was the shrine. No college would look twice at her grades. And her mind-

_'-Is obviously going insane.'_ Because several yards in front of her, was the man that she'd been seeing in her dreams for the past year. The eighteen year old blinked, rubbed her eyes furiously, then looked again.

He was still there.

And he was walking right towards her. Dressed casually in a pair of dark jeans and a dark long sleeved button down shirt. With his long hair tied back loosely. Carrying an umbrella. And he was watching her intently. Almost as though he **knew** her.

She gulped and stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, watching with wide eyes as he approached her languidly. Was he... older? But how? They were near the same age when they'd first met! And when he finally stopped in front of her, she couldn't breathe; couldn't even speak. There was so much she wanted to say!

Did he know her? Would he recognize her? How was he even here? And why was he older than her by almost 8 years?

"... I... I," she couldn't even make the words come out. And then he smiled that arrogant grin at her, and suddenly, everything seemed normal again. She didn't know how, exactly, he was here, but she didn't really give a damn either.

"I'm home, Kagome." That deep timber in his voice sent shivers skating down her spine instantly; just like he'd always been able to do. Without a word, she dropped her umbrella, heedless of the fact that she'd be soaked later, and threw herself into his arms. Apparently, he dropped his too, because they were both getting really wet. Neither seemed to really care, though, because she was wrapped in his arms and everything finally felt right. Standing on her toes, she grinned up at him in contentment.

"Welcome home, Itachi." And then she kissed him. Itachi should have known better than to be surprised; but he was. Snapping out of it, he slid his hands into her wet hair and kissed her back with everything he could manage. He really didn't mind, though. Didn't even care that they were getting incredulous and amused looks from the people surrounding them. From the moment he'd remembered, he'd been waiting for this very instant. He was finally where he truly belonged.

With her.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

_Circle me and the needle_

_Moves gracefully_

_Back and forth_

_If my heart was a compass _

_You'd be north_

_Risk it all 'cause I'll_

_Catch you if you fall _

_Wherever you go_

_If my heart was a house_

_You'd be home_

-Owl City, _If My Heart Was A House_

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

A/N: AND THE END! WOOOOOH! IT'S OVER! Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me from beginning to end! This journey has been fantastic and I've really enjoyed it. Now, I'll be taking a small break from here on. But don't worry. I'll probably be back with more for you all to enjoy! Until then, I thank you for your undying support!

THIS IS THE FINAL CHAPTER! THERE WILL BE NO MORE UPDATES FOR THIS STORY! OTHER ONE-SHOTS WILL BE ADDED TO **ADDITIONALS**!

Those final reviews are, of course, appreciated.


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